EIGHT | THE BEST BITS OF YOU AND ME

Disclaimer: I do not own the Power Rangers franchise. I only own Crystalia 'Crys' Zeo, any other characters that you do not recognize and their original plot lines and dialogue. The Breakfast Club will include mentions of violence, homosexuality and swearing.

Thank you Ellixwolf, SaraPotter17, ThatOddPotato, Emstein97, jk522, Guest, AngelGurrl, NicoleR85, Elsa - 18, chelsnichole12 and every other wonderful reader out there! I'm sorry for the long wait!

"How's Billy?"

So, Crys was highly appreciative of Jason's care for her best friend, even if it was just because Crys was best friends with him. Billy and Jason had never spoken before, despite being in same year, and the Zeo girl wasn't about to introduce them to each other straight away. Billy would get awkward and probably ramble off into science babble and Jason would probably just stand there, awkwardly shifting from foot-to-foot as much as he could with his knee in a brace. And then there would be Crys, also awkward, trying to be a mediator between her best friend and the boy who was quickly becoming an all-consuming force in her life. Jason was close to coming back to school too and it seemed that he was going out of his way to reacquaint himself with everything he had missed out on—like Kimberly Hart's near-suspension, Billy's admittance to Detention Day Saturday for the rest of the year alongside his best friend and other menial occurrences. He had asked so he had cared at one point, obviously, but as the pair continued on their walk to absolutely nowhere in particular, he was finding himself more focused on Crys than what she was saying.

"—blow something up." Crys frowned at Jason's lack of response, the boy kicking rocks on the ground with his good leg, "Jason? Are you okay? You've barely said a word since we left your house."

"Hmm?" Jason hummed, eyes snapping up to Crys' worried gaze before he let a sheepish smile dart over his lips. "I'm sorry, I'm just distracted. I swear I was listening to your plan to blow something up but I suggest you avoid the Youth Center—you don't need to be identified as any more of a juvenile delinquent than you already are." Crys continued to give him an unimpressed look and Jason reached up to scrub at his face, sighing, "I swear I'm okay, Crys. You don't need to worry about me so much."

"I don't have any other hobbies."

"You should definitely get some."

Crys shrugged, jumping over a fallen log. Jason blinked in surprise, seeing that they had wandered onto the outskirts of the woods and he watched more closely as the blonde girl in front of him started to take the familiar route to what he had designated as their spot. Not just his now, the spot overlooking Angel Grove had become even more important to him with her there with him and he wasn't about to tell her that she wasn't allowed to go there for no reason. Jason enjoyed Crys being there, right beside him.

"Fine, when you tell your father you're done with football," Crys bargained after a moment, toeing a tree root with her boot, "I'll let you pick me a hobby. Anything you want—maybe I'll take up football."

Jason deadpanned, "You're not nearly as funny as you seem to think you are."

"And, although this is hard, it's not nearly as complicated as you seem to think it is."

The Scott boy held back a laugh as he watched Crys pirouette through the woods, dancing to a tune only she could hear. Sometimes, he wondered if she was a bit insane but he figured she needed to be to survive the pure boredom of Angel Grove—she made her own fun, her own insanity and Jason hadn't known how much he had craved a bit of madness until she had rocked up in the doorway of his hospital room, peeking through her fingers.

"You're wonderful, you know that?" Crys would sooner die than admit she tripped a bit at Jason's words, whirling around to stare at him with a blush on her face. Jason was leant against a tree, smiling at her like she was the only thing he ever wanted to see again in his life before he tilted his head, flicking his eyes in the opposite direction, "If we're going to our spot, you're headed in the wrong direction."

Crys' blush deepened and she stuck out her tongue. "I know that."

"'Course you do." Jason dug his hands into his pockets, trailing behind the Zeo girl who was definitely now stomping through the trees. She didn't like being wrong and Jason found an odd joy in proving her that she could be wrong. "Right turn here and a—"

"I know!"

Jason laughed outright at Crys' scrunched up features as the pair finally made their way to the cliff. The blue-eyed girl plopped down on her butt with a low huff, swinging her legs with a childish interest off the ledge. Jason followed suit, albeit more gracefully, before he reclined onto his elbows and then lay flat on his back. It was nice, just lying there without a care in the world, but he knew it wouldn't last. It never did. But even for a moment, it was nice that Jason could pretend it could; his father was a controlling man though he would always try to deny it and most normal conversations exploded into shouting matches. Initially, Jason hadn't even wanted to be on the football team, forced into it by Sam Scott who used to be Angel Grove High's football coach. So determined to see Jason with a football scholarship, Sam had begged the local paper to write about Jason's football talents and had sent the articles off to talent scouts. But the expectations shoved onto the Scott boy by his father was suffocating. Jason couldn't deny that he loved being on the football team after a while—he loved group environments, thrived on them—but it didn't mean that he was still angry towards Sam for his meddling.

That resentment had motivated his acceptance of the prank that had involved a cow and a horrible car accident.

"You're not okay," Crys murmured after a few moments of silence, slowly as if she was gaging Jason's temper at the moment, "but I don't want to pressure you into saying anything. So I'm gonna sit here…and make you feel uncomfortable until you crack."

The ex-footballer shook his head and extended his right arm over the grass. He was confident and had a cold temper when he wanted to but the pair had learnt to maneuver around each other as easily as breathing. Jason's arm was a silent invitation and Crys didn't hesitate to move, placing her head on Jason's shoulder and tucking herself close to his body. It wasn't cold, as such, but early mornings were always fresh in the woods, something they had learnt after their first half-dozen expeditions to the cliff. Jason's arm curled around her head to run his fingers through her hair, cheek pressed to her blonde curls. "Good luck with that, Crys. You don't make me uncomfortable—" the Zeo girl was tempted to challenge that, she could make him uncomfortable if she really wanted to and she would find it easy "—but if you expect me to crack then I expect you to crack too."

"Sounds a bit ominous."

"Sounds a bit like you," Jason corrected, eyes drifting closed as they both lapsed into a peaceful silence. Crys almost purred as Jason rubbed his fingertips into her scalp, something that apparently all the women in her family liked, and he cracked a wide smile as she nudged herself closer. But he had to keep his head and focus on what he really wanted to say. "Crys, you know you can tell me anything, right? I'm here for you."

"You better be. I didn't visit you in hospital just for you to abandon me whenever you feel like it, Jason Lee Scott."

"I don't think I could abandon you if I tried, Crystalia Zeo."

XXXXX

Ky was nervous—like about-to-have-a-nervous-breakdown nervous—and he wasn't doing a very good job of hiding it. His fingers kept drumming away, his breath kept catching and every slight noise from the hallway made his head snap to the door and his heart to freeze in his chest. Why he had agreed to this, he had no idea, but much like when it came to Crys, Kyanite Zeo hadn't found himself able to say no to Saphira Moore.

Even when his goddaughter suggested that Willow Moore was informed of his current…predicament.

So, instead of having a lovely conversation with Diane about whatever was happening in the world or Crys' most recent near-incarceration, he was waiting impatiently for his ex-girlfriend to make an appearance in his hospital room while he was suffering from a death sentence that he hadn't told her about. The British man ran a hand over his newly-shaved head, something that Saf had done while she asked him for a favor, and he swallowed thickly in fear. Ky knew Willow well and he knew he was a dead man even if the spinal cancer didn't get him—Willow would take his silence about his condition as the ultimate betrayal and she would have two settings: she would either scream and throw things or she would fake that she was okay with it, only to blow up at him at a later date. Willow was a complicated woman, as complicated as her daughters, but Ky had fallen in love with her multifaceted personality and he would be damned before he told her to restrain herself. She wasn't a creature of restraint, she was one of unbridled passion that her darling husband had tried to bottle and sell off as his muse.

There was a low tap-tap at the door and Saf poked her little blonde head in, "Hey, Uncle Ky, mom is here to see you. Are you ready?"

"Not in the slightest." Ky let out a shaky breath, "Send her in—there's no time like the present, I suppose."

Saf eased her way out and looked to her mother. Willow was extremely confused and it was clear on her face. Why was she in the hospital? And wasn't Ky on a dig in Tibet or something? The younger blonde reached out to take her mother's hands, lips pursed together in an expression of pure unhappiness. It made Willow almost jerk her hands out of her daughter's grip, green eyes flaring like a startled rabbit. "Mom…you've got to be prepared that inside that room is something you're going to find…scary. It's scary but I know you're strong enough to know and strong enough to handle it."

"This sounds like one of those speeches that I'm supposed to be giving you," Willow laughed nervously, tapping the tips of her fingers against the back of Saf's hand. "What's going on here, Saf? You're really worrying me, baby, because I always thought the cryptic Yoda talk was something reserved just for your sister."

"Mom," Saf said sternly, "this is serious."

"And this involves Ky?" Willow's voice cracked even though it was tiny in the first place and as Saf nodded, the older woman's eyes dropped. She untangled her hands from her daughter's without another word, shoving her way into the room and her breath caught in her throat. Kyanite looked so small and frail, bald-headed and pale, and her breath came out in a sob, "Oh my God, Ky…"

"Hello, Willow."

The Moore woman lowered herself to sit by Ky's side, watching with bated breath as his shaky hands reached out to take her right one in his. Saf hovered by the door before she pulled it shut with a soft click, wandering off to find Diane. "You…you let someone cut your hair?" Ky let out a raspy chuckle and the blonde shook her head, teary-eyed. His hair had always been a soft spot for him and to see it gone, it was almost a sign to say I've given up and Kyanite Zeo, though many good and bad things, wasn't a coward. He never backed down from a fight, even when he probably should, just like his daughter. "Kyanite, what's happened to you? You were healthy, smiling and had hair, when I saw you last."

"A lot can change in a few months." Ky's fingers squeezed Willow's with surprising strength, "Right now, I just want to sit here with you. Can you do that for me? No questions, just you and me catching up like we used to."

Willow placed her other hand over their joined hands, thumb stroking over his knuckles. "Yeah, Ky, we can do that."

XXXXX

Trini swirled her mug of coffee over the diner countertop, dark eyes locked on the clock ticking on the far wall. She tugged her yellow baseball cap further over her face, not giving the slightest shit about looking suspicious. If she was gonna rob the place, she wouldn't have worn bright yellow and she would have brought Crys to help her. The Kwan girl dropped her gaze to her coffee, nose scrunching up at the bitter liquid before she reached for the sugar shaker by her arm and tipped a small mountain into her chipped cup. She'd already been through two cups (and one of those chocolate croissants) and Saf, who had jetted off to collect Billy, had yet to arrive even though it was already half-three. Apparently, William "Billy" Cranston had a memory like a steel trap according to Gene but had a distinct aversion to things he couldn't completely control, like cars, which was why Saf had decided to go pick him up herself on foot and walk back to the café to meet up with Trini.

And, um, was it the just her or was it really warm in the diner?

So, maybe Trini was nervous to meet Billy. She'd heard a lot about him from both Crys and Saf and, from what they'd said, she expected someone with strong opinions and a distinct lack of a filter to keep those honest thoughts in his skull. Trini sucked in a scared breath, lower lip trembling in the effort to keep herself from either screaming or crying. Okay, too overwhelming, Trini decided, draining her coffee. It was Trini's self-destructive tendencies and inability to cope with anything overwhelming that had Saf finding an empty seat at the diner counter and a note simply reading I'M SORRY, SAFFY tucked underneath an empty mug and a tiny x scrawled alongside Trini's name.

And, although she was disappointed, Saf couldn't say she was surprised as she settled into a booth across from Billy and talked about the mine he planned to explode with her sister, promising herself that she would talk to Trini Kwan. Just not yet, she needed some information from Billy first.

XXXXX

"Hey, mom," Zack greeted in Chinese as he made his way over to his mother, carrying a tray of food. She looked exceptionally frail, all fragile limbs and pale skin; Zack remembered when he was younger and his mother was golden-skinned and bright-eyed, just as much as a thrill seeker as her son was. He supposed that he was a thrill-seeking adrenaline junkie because he needed to be daredevil enough for the both of them. "Have you eaten much today?"

"Zack," the frail woman sighed, eyes brightening at the sight of her son before her lips pinched up. "You look pale. Have you been eating enough?"

Ying Yue had moved from China when she was a young girl but she hadn't Americanized herself like her husband had, the biggest change she made was occasionally referring to herself as Yue Taylor than by her full first name. She was a bright woman and she had been strong in both spirit and body for many years but her health had failed her, leading her to months in bed, too weak to get up and do things for herself. The saddest thing for Zack was watching his mother fade away, medicine not really cutting it anymore and the visits from Saf made Yue happier but not healthier. Zack eased down to sit on the bed by his mother's arm, offering the small bowl of soup to her.

"I have, mom, I'm more worried about you."

"Don't," Yue waved her hand but sighed, letting her son spoon some soup into her mouth. She hated being babied but with the way her hands shook and wrists cracked, there wasn't much she could do for herself. "How's school?"

Zack didn't have the heart to tell her that he had been skipping school to pull insane stunts. She wouldn't support his idea to become a YouTube star to pay for her treatment, jumping off trains and scaling buildings to post videos online, especially not if he was ignoring school to do it. But, God, did he hate lying to Yue. "Fine, mom. School's been fine and I promise, I'm going to detention too."

Yue sighed, slightly disappointed in her son. She hadn't approved of how Zack had gotten detention in the first place—one too many skipped classes and an incident that involved jumping from roof to roof—but she refused to condemn him for something very similar to what she used to do as a youth. "Good, good…I worry about you sometimes, Zachary. You're such a bright boy and I don't want you to throw that all away for me."

Zach smiled sadly, watching his mother. She had only managed a few spoons of soup but Yue was already starting to drift off, dark eyes drooping with exhaustion—Zack knew she wouldn't be awake for much longer. They didn't have many long conversations now; Zach was usually out on the top of a train, relaxing and trying to forget about his home life, and when he was home, Yue was usually too tired to keep her eyes open long enough to eat barely anything, let alone speak with her son. He reached out, running his hand through her hair as Yue curled deeper into the covers, "Have a rest, mom. I love you."

Yue was snoring softly before he even finished his sentence, features soft and breathing gentle, as she drifted off into a land where she was healthy.

XXXXX

"Ah, shit!" Crys exclaimed, jerking up with a start as something cold dripped onto her head. There was a crick in her neck and she was wrapped up in another jacket that was basically swimming on her. And, dammit, she was cold, why was her window open—oh. The blonde girl scrubbed at her face, wiping away droplets of water as she glared up at Kimberly Hart. Apparently, she and Jason had fallen asleep on their cliff, only to be found by Kim who had been taking a midnight swim.

"Morning, Sleeping Beauty."

"What?" Crys glanced blearily down at her watch—quarter past one in the morning—before she stared down at Jason. He looked comfortable, still asleep with his head resting on his arm (which was definitely going to be numb), and Crys hushed Kim. "Freaking Hell, Kim, what do you want?"

Kim seemed to gather some dredges of courage from her ankles. "I wanted to tell you that you were right." The Zeo girl's jaw clenched and her eyes narrowed but she didn't say a word. "I'm serious. I know what I did to Amanda was wrong and I'm sorry that I tried to blame you for that fire in the detention room."

Crys rolled her eyes and unlaced Jason's arms from around her, pushing herself off the ground. She shook some stray strands of grass from her hair as she dragged Kim away a few steps, out of earshot of Jason. "Big whoop, Kimberly. You're sorry for almost killing some kids and shoving the blame on me but you're not sorry for the child pornography." She tilted her head, lips upturned in a sickly-sweet smile, "And don't think that I didn't hear about you punching Ty in the face. Knocked out a tooth, yeah? Impressive."

"He disrespected me!" Kim snapped but Crys was already letting out a sarcastic, disbelieving laugh.

"Pathetic," the blue-eyed girl drawled. "He called you out on what you did, that's not disrespect. And just because they put the tooth back in, it doesn't mean that it just suddenly erases everything you did." She rubbed at her eyes, "Why were you really here, Kim? Did you, what, get jealous when you saw me here with Jason and wanted to make yourself look better in his eyes? Are you here to make yourself feel better because, somewhere deep in that pretty, little head of yours, you can acknowledge that what you did to your supposed best friend was a disgusting thing to do?"

Kim scoffed, "I wanted to be the bigger person, Crys, a concept that I'm sure is lost on you. I suppose that you're too bitter to figure that out. Do you get a kick out of seeing the worst in everyone?"

"No," Crys' smile widened, "just a kick out of seeing the true person underneath all that makeup and ego."

The dark haired girl huffed in disgust, pushing her wet hair off her shoulder. "Wow, Crys, and here I thought we could be friends again." Her eyes flicked to Jason's sleeping form, "You put on this holier-than-thou attitude. Tell me: does he know about all those skeletons in your closet? Do you really think that you're so perfect that you can just toss us all to the side after one mistake and expect people to think you're untouchable?" Crys didn't say a word, actually looking a bit bored, as Kim smirked. "No wonder your only friends are freaks."

Crys' smile became wolfish, something dangerous and animalistic lurking under her angelic feature. Immediately, Kim knew she had crossed a line, a line that had been so boldly written in the sand for as long as Crys had known how to stand up for herself. She gulped as Crys took a step forward, making Kim take one back, stepping deeper into the shadows of the woods. The Zeo girl wasn't unstable in the conventional sense but she had never hid how violent she could get when it came down to her family.

"I suggest that you keep comments like that to yourself, Kimberly—" Kim shivered in fear at Crys' venomous tone "—or the next tooth they'll be putting back into a mouth will be yours." She turned, walking back to Jason and she flicked a wave over her shoulder, "See you at school, Kim."

And, in that moment, Kimberly Hart hadn't regretted anything more than how she had so thoughtlessly ruined Crys' singular moment of pure happiness in a long time with Jason Scott. She watched as Jason sat up, wiping sleep from his eyes, before he immediately reached for Crys, tugging her to lay back down beside him. Kimberly swallowed thickly before she turned on her heel, walking into the shadows. She wouldn't make that mistake again; Crys wasn't someone to be trifled with, especially not when it came to the best version of herself that she had fought so hard to create.

XXXXX

UNEDITED

I'm alive! I'm so sorry this chapter has taken forever (and the next one probably will take a century too) but, right now, The Breakfast Club is the only story I have inspiration for at the moment.

So, Jarys is sailing, little by little, and Crys is showing her bitchy side. It's bloody terrific, I'm having a lot of fun writing her at the moment, and the next chapter will be the start of the movie. I've been watching the deleted scenes from the movie and, Lordy, I wish all of them (BUT THE KIMBERLY/JASON KISS BECAUSE, UM, NO) was added. I hope I'm doing Trini justice as a standoffish, insecure character and Zack, who the directors were actually going to have as a budding-YouTube star (fun fact), as a vulnerable adrenaline junkie, as odd as that combination is. And now Willow knows about Ky too!

Please, let me know what you think of this chapter!

~ Raven