Distorted within, a power rangers fanfic

Distorted within by foggynite
Power Rangers SPD
Jack/Sky

Takes place one year after SPD ends, so SPOILERS for the season. This was written with my other SPD fics in mind as background, but it's not necessary to read those first.

Written for Starhawk's PRSW22 livejournal community challenge.

PART ONE

"Here we are," Jack announced tiredly, waving his arm at the small main room of his apartment as he ushered Sky through the door. "Home sweet home."

Pausing less than five steps in, Sky looked around dubiously, both hands gripping the strap of his duffel bag. Jack couldn't help laughing at the ranger's expression. His latest abode wasn't exactly a five star hotel, but it had its own charms.

"Don't worry, it was fumigated last month. And the landlord finally set out some mousetraps."

Sky's eyebrow climbed higher.

"Although, I don't think the rats can fit in them. But that's okay—You give 'em a few scraps of food and you can teach 'em to do tricks." Jack motioned for him to move out of the way, but Sky remained stubbornly where he was. "No seriously, they fetch my morning paper. Now scootch."

Frowning, Sky stiffly complied and Jack squeezed past. He'd rushed around earlier, tidying things up as best he could, but looking at it from an obsessive-compulsive neat-freak's point of view (ie: Sky's), it was probably one of the lower levels of hell. And it wasn't like Sky hadn't been over before; granted not in the past month, but he could at least appreciate the obvious effort to clean.

"So, you want the bed or the couch?" He asked, because he could be a good host. He had manners, no matter what Z said. Besides, he didn't want Sky to feel pressured or anything.

When the taller man glared at the couch and sniffed disdainfully, Jack's hopes plummeted. Damn, he really hadn't wanted to get stuck with the beat-up old thing for a month.

"All right, then. Bed it is. Do you remember where everything… is…" He trailed off, realizing a tour of the efficiency apartment was pointless, especially since Sky had already pushed aside the bed sheets that Jack had hung to separate the bedroom from the living room, and deposited his bag on the frameless bed.

Hands on his hips, the current Red Ranger surveyed the mess Jack had bulldozed into a corner and glanced over his shoulder at his host with a resigned expression. Jack grinned widely.

"Bathroom's finally working, but you still have to use the kitchen sink to brush your teeth." He pointed at what used to be a closet. That bit of creature comfort had taken some wheeling and dealing with the landlord, but Jack had made sure that every apartment in the… well, slum he was living in had a toilet and shower installed instead of the rarely-working communal bathrooms they previously used. All that Ranger business was still good for something. If Sky didn't like it, he could just get over himself.

But Sky didn't protest. He just nodded and pulled the bed sheet shut. Jack could hear him going through his bag, probably changing, so he went to make some tea instead of standing uselessly around the living room.

Sky appeared again right as the kettle was boiling on the small range stove. Motioning at the teapot, Jack got two mugs out of the cupboard.

"I've gotten into the habit of having a cup before bed…"

The other man offered no objection, so Jack poured enough for both of them and held the mug that still had a handle out to Sky.

"It's all I have," Jack said apologetically as Sky sniffed the blue-tinted tea suspiciously. "Mrs. Pheltin in 1B makes it special. It might look funky, but it's supposed to be good for you. Helps with the circulation or something…" Shrugging, Jack tossed it back, suppressing a grimace.

Looking unimpressed, Sky sipped from his cup and wrapped both hands around it. The gesture made him seem younger, less confident. Jack quickly turned to the sink, rinsing his mug out.

"So, a whole month, huh?" He said inanely as he scrubbed. "That must be a first. I don't think I've ever seen you take any time off..."

Sky's wry snort wasn't exactly encouraging, but Jack placed his mug in the drying rack and accepted the empty cup the other man handed him. Checking to make sure the towel was clean first, Sky started to dry the cups and replaced them far more neatly than they had been stacked in the first place.

Standing awkwardly once he shut the water off, Jack watched him with pursed lips. The line of Sky's shoulders was tense. He knew Jack was staring. As he gently closed the cabinet doors, he looked over his shoulder, raising his eyebrow challengingly.

"They really don't know what's causing it?" Jack finally blurted out. Sky jerked his head sharply in denial. "You guys aren't just, like, not telling the rest of us to soften a blow or something, right? Right?"

That brought an amused smirk to Sky's face, his 'lesser intellects entertain me' expression, and he held up his hands innocently with a shrug. Bridge had given him a notepad when everyone realized what was wrong, but Sky had tucked it away in his duffel bag before they left headquarters.

"Well. Okay. Good then. A whole month of yelling at you while you can't talk back shouldn't be so bad, huh?"

Sky gave him the finger with a silent laugh. It was the first smile Jack had seen on him since Sky had staggered into the command center alone. He told himself the feeling in his chest was Mrs. Pheltin's tea.

He beat a hasty retreat across the living room. Sky started to wipe the counter down, shoulders more relaxed.

"Just let me change and we can hit the sack. I'm wiped," Jack called out as he pulled the curtain shut behind him.

Honestly, he didn't know if he'd be able to sleep at all. He hadn't been a member of SPD for over a year, even though he kept in touch with everyone regularly—some more than others-- but the frantic call from Z three weeks ago had left him more shaken than he could have imagined. Even having Sky back in one piece hadn't been enough to dispel the dread that had settled behind his ribs during the interminable weeks of not knowing.

Just. He wasn't a ranger anymore. He didn't regret leaving SPD, but it had been so frustrating to have to rely on Z to keep him in the loop and not be allowed to do anything except keep an ear out on the streets. And now Sky was back, but something was obviously wrong, and Jack had the sinking feeling that Cruger knew more than he was sharing, which pissed him off and freaked him out.

Sky wouldn't tell any of them, even him, what had happened with Korinnic. He had just turned over the containment card and gone on to the infirmary without protest. Cruger had handled the criminal's interrogation.

Tugging his nightshirt on, Jack paused when he noticed the framed picture added to the nightstand. Picking it up, he ran his fingers over the worn grooves left behind by another set of hands, and took a calming breath. Sky had made it back. They'd get through this.

A small part of him, an insidious part he hated but had kept him fed and clothed over the years, was relieved, only for different reasons. With Sky out of action, he wasn't at risk. He wasn't on the front line whenever an intergalactic criminal decided to drop by and stir things up. He was safe.

But was he really?

Starting guiltily, Jack turned to find Sky watching him curiously from the impromptu doorway. Glancing at the picture frame, Sky came over and took it gently from him, setting it back down. He gave Jack a small half-grin, eyes rueful, then he looked away.

"It's late. I should let you sleep…" Jack murmured, fingers twisting absently at his pant leg.

Sky's hand on his shoulder kept him from moving. Looking up, he was surprised to find another smile greeting him. Nodding in the direction of the couch, Sky twisted his lips skeptically and shook his head. Jack comforted himself with the knowledge that at least he was Sky's favorite idiot.

Pressing down on Jack's shoulder, Sky pushed him towards the mattress. The shorter man sat down with a sigh.

"Y'know, I was trying to be chivalrous and all that."

Sky laughed soundlessly at him.

"Oh sure, you think it's funny. I'm bein' noble and you mock me—" He broke off when Sky sobered enough to shove him over to the other side of the bed. Jack sighed as he flopped onto his back, but he was grateful for even the hint of normalcy so he didn't put up a fight. He was just happy that Sky was smiling, even if it wouldn't last.

Crawling in behind him, Sky paused before turning off the small lamp. Glancing at him, Jack smirked when the other man motioned at the couch with his chin and a disbelieving expression.

"Yeah, I woulda done it," he said with faux-resignation.

Sky shook his head and turned off the light. Settling down, he curled on his side and Jack easily draped himself around him, burying his nose in the nape of his neck.

"At least now I can get in the last word…" He muttered before closing his eyes.

Sky just snorted and wrapped his fingers around Jack's forearms.

Jack used to be a light sleeper. Living on the streets did that to a person. But maybe the two years since becoming a Ranger had softened him, or maybe he was more exhausted than he thought, because he didn't wake up until Sky was bolting from the bed.

Heart pounding in his ears, Jack scrambled after him before he even registered what was happening. The apartment was small enough that Sky made it to the bathroom in time, retching noises beginning while Jack was still halfway across the room. He flicked on the weak bathroom light, but at Sky's pained expression and hand gesture, he snapped it back off.

"You all right?"

He didn't know why he was whispering, but he groped for Sky's shoulders until his eyes adjusted again. There was a glow of illumination from the streets outside the window, but Sky was crouched in the dark alcove of the toilet, a lighter shadow amongst shadows.

When he made contact with Sky's warm body, he wasn't prepared for the violent flinch as the other man's blue force field engaged. That, Jack knew, was the universal Sky symbol for 'Fuck off and leave me alone,' so he eased back into the doorway and just watched with concern while Sky lost what little dinner he'd been able to keep down until then.

Once the retching had turned to dry heaves, Jack tried again.

"Hey." He didn't come any closer, and Sky pushed away from the alcove, pressing his back to the wall and wrapping his arms around his knees. Reaching out blindly, Jack grabbed his only washcloth and went to the kitchen sink to wet it. Wringing it out as best he could, he returned to kneel down in front of Sky. "Here."

As Sky took it, Jack could feel the tremors running along the other man's arms and he closed his eyes tiredly for a moment. He couldn't do anything if Sky didn't let him. But Cruger thought he'd have the best chance of getting through, especially since Sky had actually gotten worse when the rest of the team tried to help. Syd's attempts had made even Jack cringe. But what could he do that they hadn't been able to? He sucked when it came to the stuff that mattered. He never knew what to say.

So he settled on the bathroom floor and leaned against the doorframe, watching as Sky's head bobbed gently with each breath. Sky's eyes were closed tightly and he was obviously forcing himself to take deep breaths, but Jack could tell he was still shivering even as he clutched the washcloth in his fist. When he finally did open his eyes again, his expression dared Jack to say something.

Butt numb and back sore, Jack just stood up with a groan and held out his hand. "C'mon, let's get back to bed."

Hesitating, Sky looked at the washcloth then threw it in the shower stall, and climbed to his feet on his own. Jack rolled his eyes.

"C'mon," he repeated, mostly just to break the silence, and paused in the bedroom doorway while Sky rinsed his mouth at the sink, then continued to the bed.

Burrowing under the cold covers, he flipped them open and waited until Sky joined him. Before he could give it much thought, he reached out and laid his hand on Sky's chest, feeling the thud of a quick heartbeat beneath his palm. When Sky didn't push him away, Jack inched closer until they were sharing body heat, and let himself drift.

He had the feeling that he was going to need all the sleep he could get.

PART TWO

The sound of someone using a handsaw on the floor above them woke Jack again. Blearily trying to get up, he realized that he was pinned down by Sky's dead weight. He let his head flop back with a yawn.

The apartment was brighter than he was used to when he first woke up, so he figured it was well past dawn. He was losing feeling in his right toes and he had to pee, but the warmth of Sky's body, the solid reassurance of his presence, made him reluctant to disturb the other man.

Turning his head, Jack studied Sky's troubled expression. He hadn't seen such a bruised look around Sky's eyes since Mirloc escaped. Sighing, Jack transferred his gaze to the living room, exhausted.

His bladder won out in the end, though, so he wedged an arm under Sky's chest, using his own as leverage to roll him over to the other side of the bed. Sky woke up with a startled gasp, looking around frantically for a moment, but the toll of the past few weeks was apparent when his eyes drifted shut and he fell back asleep. That was how it had been the entire night—Quick starts and forgotten awakenings. Jack was almost tempted to take the couch for his own sake.

Someone dropped a heavy metal something overhead, and Jack groaned quietly. Miloz was an enthusiastic helper, but the teen had almost no hand-eye coordination so Jack usually gave him odd jobs to do that required lots of running around. Using the power tools certainly wasn't one of them. Hopefully Tony was up there, too.

Scratching himself as he stumbled across to the bathroom, Jack wondered if Sky had any skills with carpentry. Probably. Guy probably took a class or wrote a book on it or something, if he thought it would make him a better ranger. Jack could use the help.

When he came out of the bathroom, he hesitated in the kitchen and frowned at himself. Technically, Ally wasn't expecting him to come in until after the upcoming weekend, but Kat had suggested Jack try to keep appearances as normal as possible. After the way Sky reacted to the other rangers' somewhat overwhelming concern, Jack wasn't sure if he should actually take the time off and run the risk of seeming like he was baby-sitting. Or worse, mother-henning. He and Sky hadn't exactly lived in each other's back pockets before, and he wasn't in any hurry to find out if this thing they'd been doing for the past year was dependent on the space they'd both had.

Shrugging the thoughts off as too heavy for seven in the morning, he resolved to stay home and maybe get some work done. Another sharp bang above made him wince.

Coffee. He definitely needed coffee.

The kettle was brewing when a sharp gasp from the bed set his heart racing. Glancing over his shoulder, he could see Sky was already settling back down, shifting restlessly under the covers.

Coffee in hand, Jack pulled his work satchel over to the couch and made himself comfortable. Piggy had been mostly a partner-in-absentia lately which, while it left the office remarkably cleaner, meant more paperwork for Jack and Ally. They were branching out their services, too, not just handing out clothing but also food and other supplies, so keeping their books up-to-date was necessary for getting more corporate donations.

After a useless fifteen minutes wherein his gaze kept wandering off the papers in front of him and to the bed, Jack sighed and set everything aside.

A heavy fist pounded on his door, causing him to almost wear his coffee, but Jack scrambled to his feet to answer it before the tall lump under his covers completely woke up.

"Tony!" He whispered fiercely as he wrenched the door open, staving off another attack from the short alien's meaty paw. "You trying to wake up the entire building or what, man?"

Bewildered, Tony shrugged, shoulders rolling like mountains, and whispered back, "Sorry. Ain't you usually up now anyway?"

Jack frowned at him.

"Oh!" Chuckling, the furry alien grinned toothily. "Sorry, sorry! Say hi to Sky for me, then."

"He's gonna be here all month," Jack deadpanned, knowing the rest of the building would hear it by lunchtime. "You can tell him yourself when he wakes up."

Tony's bushy eyebrows climbed high, but Jack spoke again before the man could say anything.

"If you're down here, then who's working upstairs?"

"Aw, damn," Tony growled, effectively distracted and already heading down the hall. "That kid's gonna be the death of me!"

"Let him do the trim in 5D," Jack called sweetly after him. "And watch the ceiling wires…"

Grinning smugly, he shut the door and turned around right into Sky's chest.

"Dude!" Well, he was definitely wide awake now. "Don't do that."

Sky smirked, crossing his arms in front of his chest. They were nearly toe to toe, Jack effectively cornered against the wall, and the temptation to touch made his next words gruffer then he intended.

"Ha ha. We'll see how you like it with a cat bell on…"

Frowning, Sky elegantly brushed off his threat with one hand and nodded in the direction Tony had gone.

"We're still working on the fifth floor apartments," Jack explained, returning to his paperwork at the couch. "They're the biggest ones, and Figg made a deal—We do the work, we get first pick. He doesn't have to hire actual workers, and we get more room for the same rent."

Sky looked skeptical. Picking up a blank sheet of paper and a pencil from the mound of work, he scribbled, Is that legal?

Jack shrugged. "As long as it passes inspection, it doesn't matter who did it."

A snort was his only response, and then he was ignored in favor of the coffee pot. Jack watched as Sky poured himself a cup, not sure what to think. Cruger and Kat had pulled him aside, told him Sky wasn't eating or sleeping much, just enough to stay out of the infirmary, but Jack hadn't had to force anything to eat on him yet. Sky had even been the one to suggest hamburgers on their way to the apartment the previous night.

"I bought groceries the other day," he found himself saying over the back of the couch. "I could make some eggs if you're hungry."

Thankfully, Sky waved away his offer to cook as he set down his coffee mug, but the look he gave Jack was surprised and skeptical as he reached for the fridge handle. When he opened the fridge and found it well-stocked, the surprise won out.

"There's mushrooms in there from the Ferguson's latest batch, too," Jack mentioned when Sky started poking around at the shelves. "And onions. And cheese."

Sky's grin was amused as he pulled out the suggested ingredients, and the fond glance he spared for Jack made the shorter man relax against the couch. He started going over his paperwork again and had actually gotten a fair bit accomplished before Sky sat next to him on the couch, passing him a paper plate with a neatly made omelet on it and a plastic fork.

Flicking his own plate with a finger, Sky gave Jack a wry look.

"It's not like I eat at home that often anyway!" Jack said defensively, digging into his breakfast with gusto because, damn, Sky made the best omelets ever. "Seriously, did you take a cooking class or what?"

A chuff of laughter escaped the other man before they both silently wolfed down their food. Normally at that point, Sky would pretend not to read all the files in front of them and then casually offer advice on potential donors, just like he'd been doing for the past few months, but now he just finished half his omelet and let the plate rest in his lap, head leaning back on the couch. Scraping the last bite of cheese away, Jack glanced at his weary profile then let himself lean into the couch, into Sky.

Sky stiffened at first, arm tense, but he quickly lifted his arm and let Jack sink in closer. Jack refused to think of it as cuddling. He just… Just needed to touch, for just a little bit.

After a moment, Sky gathered their plates and set them aside. Warm lips pressed against Jack's temples, arm tightening around him, then Sky tapped his knee and pointed at the battered clock hanging on the wall.

"I took today off," he fudged the truth a little. Ally had actually informed him of his vacation and told him she would have him escorted home if he tried to come in. But he hadn't protested… much.

Sitting up, he gave Sky a wicked grin.

"How are you with power tools?"

Jack had introduced Sky to Tony the first night the other ranger had stayed over his apartment. He hadn't really meant to, but they'd run into the large alien in the stairwell and he didn't want to be rude. Unfortunately, Tony connected some dots and then the rest of the tenants were asking Jack when they were going to meet his boyfriend.

Sky had attended one block party after that, under duress and thankfully in clothes Jack had picked out, but he had actually managed to have fun and for some reason Jack had yet to fathom, most of the other residents had taken a shine to him. He would never admit it, Jack was sure, but he could tell Sky liked it when he heard that people asked after him.

No one really pried into the whole ranger thing, thankfully, because while the building tenants weren't on par with Piggy's old clientele, there was still that hesitance to trust the law, the government. But they were cool about it, accepting Sky like they'd accepted Jack, which was why Jack didn't feel awkward leaving Sky to help Tony tear down old drywall while he went to oversee Miloz.

5D was the second apartment they were nearly finished with, and Jack was proud of the new walls that had a fresh coat of paint and the cheap floorboards that had been laid the previous week. Soon they'd be able to move the Amroses up, and the couple's four kids would have room to move, let alone play.

They'd be able to, as long as nothing happened, like say, a teenage walking disaster overbalancing as he tried to nail a piece of trim up and falling off his ladder.

"Wait, wait!" Jack caught the ladder before the kid ended up on the floorboards. "Why don't you let me handle the higher trim?"

"But, Jack," Miloz adjusted the goggles Tony insisted he wear at all times with a scaled hand. "While you do have several years experience on me, I am taller than you. Logic dictates that I should place the ceiling trim while you prepare the lower—"

"Boy, logic never saw you with a hammer," Jack drawled. He'd feel bad later, but he was not short, dammit. "Why don't you work on the electrical outlet covers?"

Miloz sighed, but started climbing down. "Fine. But I—"

"And no poking exposed wires!"

With a small huff, the kid grumbled and went to screw the plastic covers on. Jack shook his head and mounted the ladder.

When he finally stood up from the lower trim and stretched a few hours later, he felt the joints of his sternum crackle with each deep inhalation. Too bad it made his lower back feel like his vertebrae had compressed into one solid, immovable mass. The construction noises in apartment A had stopped for a while there, but a steady pounding had picked up again after lunch.

Looking around, he realized Miloz had left, so he stripped off his work gloves and dusted off his old SPD sweats. Looking around the room with satisfaction, he wondered at how far he'd come, then shook his head and went to find Sky.

The sound of breaking drywall was louder in the hallway, and he stopped in the doorway of the gutted apartment. Sky was wielding the sledgehammer, knocking holes in the wall so Tony could tear the sheets of rock down with a crowbar. The dust wasn't terrible, but Sky had eye protection on and a handkerchief over his mouth, sweat leaving grey streaks on his temples and neck. His expression was fierce as he swung the hammer, eyes narrowed determinedly. But at least he was up and about. Moving and not shut in his dorm or the infirmary. The hard work would do him some good, let him feel useful while they tried to figure it all out. Maybe that was what Cruger meant, sending him home with Jack.

Pausing to take a breather, Sky noticed Jack and gave a small wave before starting up again. Jack returned it, feeling silly. Turning to go back to the other apartment, he laughed at himself.

They'd make it through this latest crisis. They were rangers—It's what they did best.

PART THREE

After working on the upstairs apartments all day, they just barely managed to drag themselves into bed before they collapsed. The night of the second day, though, it was obvious that Tony and Miloz had been talking and the first of the visitors showed up.

Shelley, from 3C, knocked right after Jack had gotten out of the shower, so he had to scramble to find pants while Sky waited to open the door. He was tugging on a shirt when Sky let her in.

"What's up, Shell?"

"Hey, Jack," she said in her soft voice. "Trace made pigs in a blanket."

"Aw, you guys didn't have to," Jack protested, though only halfheartedly because the smell of cabbage and pork and tomatoes was making his stomach growl.

"She insisted. For you fixing the sink." Shelley handed the covered dish over to Sky, who took it and gestured for her to sit down. "Oh, I can't stay. Trace has night shift today, so I have to pick Danny up from his nana. I hope you enjoy."

After she left, Jack and Sky just exchanged shrugs and dug in. People had a tendency to drop food off at Jack's when he repaired stuff around the building, since it was well known that he didn't cook.

But then Miloz's mom, Miry, dropped off a fresh loaf of bread, and Kent from 2B stopped by with a rice casserole. By the time Mrs. Pheltin had Miloz bring Jack more tea, this time red leaves she said were good for the lungs and throat, Jack realized what was going on.

There was no way Tony and Miloz wouldn't mention Sky's lack of a voice, and like usual when someone in the building was sick, his neighbors were sending food. It was heartening, but Jack also felt a little guilty about accepting so much from people that might not be able to afford it, since Sky wasn't exactly on death's door.

Later, staring at the lines of exhaustion on Sky's face while he slept restlessly, Jack wished he could tell them what Sky's real illness was. But he couldn't. He didn't know what was wrong, and he was beginning to think Sky didn't either.

Monday morning came too soon for Jack, and he burrowed deeper into his pillow when the alarm started buzzing. Movement from the other side of the bed made him groan and squeeze his eyes shut tighter as Sky leaned over him to turn the alarm off.

"Let me sleep," is what he meant to say, but all that came out was, "Nnnrrgh."

A sharp finger poked his shoulder. He swatted it away ineffectually. The poking turned to a light shake and he lazily lifted his head, trying to bite the nearest fingers.

With an exasperated sigh, Sky left the bed. Jack snuggled into his covers triumphantly and tried to doze off.

They'd worked hard over the weekend, as Sky had thrown himself into the project with his usual determination, though this time with a desperate edge to be doing something that made Jack's chest ache. They had gotten to the point where the Amrose apartment was finished and awaiting final inspection, and the second apartment was almost ready to start hanging drywall. There wasn't a muscle in Jack's body that wasn't sore.

The smell of coffee invaded his cocoon, and he couldn't help breathing it in. He snuffled and peered out blearily when Sky sat on the bed next to him. A steaming mug of coffee was being held in front of his face.

"Cheater," he grumbled, sitting up with a frown. Sky grinned and patted his knee with false sympathy.

"I know. S'what I get for dating a morning person." Jack blinked as he sipped, trying to wake up more. "Freak."

Sky chuffed, his new version of a laugh, and retrieved his notepad from the nightstand.

Tony wants me to help him today.

Jack squinted at the neat handwriting for a moment before the words registered.

"Nh. Sure. I got some deliveries. A pick-up from a shoe store."

Sky nodded and stood up, collecting Jack's empty mug to take back to the kitchen. Feeling slightly more human, Jack rolled out of bed and got dressed. By the time he finished using the bathroom, Sky had breakfast ready.

He could get used to this. Seriously. A month of living with Sky and he'd be spoiled when the other man went back to headquarters.

Frowning as his mind shied away from that thought, he went to brush his teeth at the kitchen sink.

When Jack was ready to leave, he hesitated for an awkward moment, wondering what he should do. But Sky was powering up his laptop, no doubt to check for new reports or something, so Jack pulled his jacket on and headed for the door.

"See you tonight. I'll pick up dinner."

He received an absent wave in return, Sky barely looking up as he glared at whatever was on the screen, and Jack left the apartment with a shake of his head.

They fell into an easy routine after that. Sky waking Jack up, Jack heading out while Sky helped Tony. Sitting down to eat dinner at the couch before crawling into bed before the sun was completely set, knowing that no matter how early they tried they'd still wake up tired and as though they hadn't slept at all.

Jack was starting to notice a pattern to the nightmares, once he gave up on trying to sleep as deep as he normally did. They'd settle in, Sky would start to nod off, and then the twitching would start. At first, Jack thought it was his own doing, since Sky had never really liked to be crowded in bed before anyway. But even when Jack was at the farthest edge, Sky would begin moving his legs restlessly as soon as his breathing evened out. Then his arms would get in on it too, and unless Jack woke him up, he'd keep twitching until he awoke in a panic.

There hadn't been many more dashes for the bathroom after that first night, but when Jack finally did fall asleep, Sky would wake in a panic and the former ranger wouldn't be able to drift off again for some time.

It was getting to the point that both he and Sky had bruised bags under their eyes, but other than calling Kat for sleeping pills or something and slugging through the inevitable fight that would ensue, Jack didn't know what to do.

He ended up drinking a lot of coffee.

"Is that your fourth cup?" Ally asked incredulously.

"Yes," Jack said smartly, giving her a challenging look. It didn't work, because she just took it as an invitation to sit on the corner of the desk like she usually did.

"It's only nine in the morning, Jack. What's up?"

"Nothing. But I'm beginning to think we should hire someone to handle the paperwork."

"We could ask Piggy at the next meeting," she suggested, then asked casually, "So was that a nothing-nothing or an I-don't-want-to-talk-about-it-nothing? Because lately I'm having trouble telling the difference…"

When he kept checking invoices and didn't respond, she rolled her eyes and studied the toes of her shoes.

"Are you having problems sleeping?" She asked quietly.

"No, I'm not," he said in clipped tones and continued his work.

"Is Sky?"

His pen faltered and he realized he'd already checked these lists the day before. Throwing his pen weakly at the desk, he let his head sink down to lie on the blotter. He felt bad for worrying her, but he didn't want to talk about it. Not when he was feeling so helpless.

"Have you heard anything from his doctor?" Ally tried again, relentless in the same stubborn way Jack was. It made them great friends and working partners, but was part of the reason he'd never seriously tried to date her. Besides, he had the feeling this thing between him and Sky had essentially ruined him for anyone else.

Leaning back in the chair, he gave her an apologetic grimace.

"Kat said she'd call if she had any ideas, but so far, there's been nada. He has an appointment the day after tomorrow. Weekly checkup."

Ally just watched him expectantly until he shrugged, uncomfortable, and stood up to stretch.

"Look, it's nothing we can't handle. Just a few wacked out dreams. Well, nightmares. Kat said it was to be expected after everything he went through."

"Have you tried talking to him about it?'

He gave her a look and she just tilted her head, pulling her legs up under her.

"He can still write, can't he?" She demanded. Jack nodded. "Then you can still talk about it."

"He already let me read his report."

"That's not the same and you know it, Jack."

"This is Sky," he interrupted dryly. "He'd include the color of the perp's underwear if he knew it."

"But I doubt he'd include how he felt," she said, stern but gentle. "If he was scared. If he was hurt or angry. I'm surprised he hasn't had to see a counselor yet."

Jack shrugged, fiddling with his penholder. "They were giving him a week or two to see if they could do something about his voice. Syd tried to teach him sign language, but… I don't think he was ready to consider long term issues. He didn't react well."

"Do you think he's ready now?"

He took a deep breath and slowly released it. "Honestly? I don't know. I mean, I think I've gotten closer to him than probably anyone else, but even if I can read him I can't read his thoughts. I have no clue what he's thinking."

"Then you have to ask."

"Easier said than done," he muttered.

"Sounds like you've given up on reaching him," she shot back blithely.

He glared at her, not even responding to that bit of ridiculousness, and paced the small office, stopping at the open door to watch as volunteers sorted donations.

He hadn't said anything to their regular workers, wasn't sure what Ally had told them about his absence the week before, but the Red Ranger's disappearance had been all over the news for a couple weeks and they'd seen Sky around often enough before then. Jack hadn't exactly been at his best since Z called.

He sighed and trudged over to the desk, sitting down wearily next to Ally.

"I'm just tired, all right?" He finally admitted. "And if I say anything, he'll feel bad and he doesn't need that right now. Aside from not being able to speak, things have been pretty normal. But I don't know… I just feel like there's something they aren't telling me."

"They? Sky?"

"No, not Sky. I'm pretty sure he doesn't know. But Cruger and Kat..." He stared at his hands. "They have the guy who did it. Sky's the one who brought him in. So you'd think they'd know something more than what little they've told us…"

"So maybe you should be asking this Cruger guy."

He snorted wryly and looked over at her. Leave it to Ally to cut to the heart of things. She never would let him sit around on his bum feeling sorry for himself.

"Maybe I should," he conceded with a small smile.

"Good. Now let's get lunch. These chick flick moments make me hungry."

He joined in her laughter and tried to forget his unease for a while.

Cutting out of work earlier than usual, Jack debated picking up takeout from the corner deli on his way home. He decided against it since the stream of food hadn't stopped so much as his neighbors had obviously started taking turns feeding them. He'd have to make Sky cook something for the next block party in thanks. He didn't want to insult anyone with his own cooking.

The elevator in his building had been out of service longer than he'd been a tenant, so he took the stairs, running into Tony on the second floor landing.

"Hey, man!" He said brightly, falling into step with the squat alien. "Whatcha got there?"

Tony waved the pot under Jack's nose. "Your dinner. I was just taking it up."

"Awesome. Thanks."

Since Tony didn't seem inclined to hand the dish over early, Jack just matched his pace up the stairs. He frowned as a thought occurred to him.

"You guys pack it in early today?"

"Ah… yes."

The hesitation made Jack look at the other man sharply. Tony's wife, Reese, worked fulltime as a nurse at a free clinic, while Tony made and sold handcrafted items in the flea market down the street. The furry man had been more than generous with his time, but Jack didn't want anyone taking on unnecessary hardship for the renovations.

"Everything cool?" He asked in a casual tone. "You guys have been putting in a lot of hours up there."

"Yeah, it's not a problem…" Tony's pace slowed, and Jack tried not to be worried when they stopped on the landing for the third floor. Tony seemed reluctant to say whatever he wanted to, so Jack crossed his arms and gave him a look.

"C'mon, man. Spill it, 'cause you're freaking me out here."

Tony cleared his throat. "You know it ain't my way to pry, Jack, but I have to ask… Sky being sick; it's not related to all that business on the news, is it?"

Jack blinked, worry spreading in him as he tried to think of the best response. He settled on honesty.

"Yeah," he said after a pause. "We think it is."

Tony regarded him sadly. "Damn, that's rough. I'm sorry to hear it. They said he was kidnapped…"

"Yeah." Jack swallowed hard. He must be more tired than he thought, if talking about it could make his throat hurt still.

Tony shifted uncomfortably.

"I'm only mentionin' it cause there was an incident today." At Jack's frown, he quickly continued. "While we were working. The hammers, they're loud, and I thought he heard me coming, but I think I kinda surprised him. He… didn't take it too well."

"Like how?" Jack asked warily.

"He said, well wrote, that it was a panic attack? He seemed more embarrassed than anything afterwards, but… He was so jumpy after that, we decided to call it an early day."

Poor Tony probably felt terrible, since the man talked gruffly but was really harmless as a kitten. Jack patted his shoulder awkwardly.

"It's all right, man. It wasn't your fault. We've been trying to work through it, but, well, it's an uphill kind of thing."

"I understand." Tony held out the pot, with a rueful expression. "Here. It'd probably be better if you took this up. I don't wanna upset him more."

"Aw, Tony, it's not like that—" Jack protested as he accepted the meal.

"No, no. I get that. No hard feelings and all. But a man has his pride. He's been through enough for one day. So you tell him I expect to see him tomorrow, bright and early."

Jack opened his mouth, then shut it again.

"Thanks," he settled on.

Tony shrugged, returning Jack's pat with a meaty paw, and headed back down the stairs.

"No problem. But I hope things get better soon."

"Me, too," Jack muttered, continuing upwards.

He could hear the Amrose kids screaming in their apartment across the hall, but even the sound of the kids playing Power Rangers wasn't enough to make him smile. Unlocking the door, he entered the apartment with some trepidation. The sky was only beginning to get dark, and there were no lights on yet, so the fading sunlight cast a grey pall over the small room.

"Hey, Sky, I got dinner. Well, Tony made us dinner."

A rustle from the bedroom drew his attention. Sky was hunched over the edge of the bed, facing away from the door, and Jack frowned. Placing the pot on the coffee table, he shrugged out of his jacket and tossed it on the couch.

"Hey," he said softly, coming to sit next to him. "What's up?"

Tony was right in that Sky would be embarrassed at the earlier loss of control, so Jack was surprised when Sky met his gaze with hopeless red-rimmed eyes, picture of him and his father clutched in a white-knuckled grip.

Eyebrows knit with concern, Jack reached out to smooth the lines on the taller man's forehead. Sky turned his face away and shook his head. Not knowing what else to do, Jack tentatively laid his hand on Sky's back. When Sky didn't pull away, he started rubbing gently.

"Hey. We'll get through this," he whispered.

A snort shook Sky's frame and Jack lifted both hands to rub his tense shoulders. "No really. We'll get through this, whether or not you get your voice back."

Sky shook his head again, carefully replacing the picture frame on the nightstand. Jack's hands froze when Sky reached up and covered them with his own. Slowly, Jack repositioned himself so that his legs were on either side of Sky's hips, hands sliding from his shoulders to around his waist. They sat like that, Sky holding Jack's forearms lightly while Jack rested his forehead between his shoulder blades, until the remains of daylight faded.

"C'mon," Jack said quietly. "We should eat."

Sky rose without protest.

Retrieving plates from the cabinets while Sky turned on the floor lamp, Jack tried to keep his worried glances to a minimum. Sky wouldn't appreciate coddling, even if he looked like he needed it.

The fine tremors that shook the other man's fork while they ate in silence decided it for Jack. He had already planned to go with Sky to his appointment with Kat, but Jack would do a little investigating of his own while he was there.

And if Cruger didn't have more answers this time, Jack would find someone who did.

PART FOUR

The morning of Sky's appointment with Kat, Jack was awakened by the vibrating of his cell phone on the night stand.

Blinking blearily, he stared uncomprehendingly at it until Sky reached over him to open the flip-phone, then placed it in Jack's hand, guiding it to his ear. Jack wasn't awake enough to care about the irritated huff that accompanied all this.

"…'Lo?" He finally muttered, letting his head sink back onto the pillow as Sky rolled out of bed.

"Jack?" Ally's voice, worried. That woke him up a little more. "I know it's your day off, but we have a problem here."

"Mm?" He forced his eyes open again. He was awake. Really.

"Jack, Piggy lost ownership of the warehouse in a card game last night! There's a-- person here with him, demanding the deed and not very happy about it. Piggy's stalling him--"

Groaning, Jack debated smothering himself with his pillow. He sighed, sitting up.

"I'm on my way in. Don't let Piggy sign anything before I get there."

"Hurry!" She hissed, then hung up.

He threw back the covers and headed for his clean clothes pile. Staring down in confusion at the clean floor that was decidedly lacking clothing, he scratched himself and yawned.

A shirt was dangled in front of his face. Frowning at it, Jack accepted the shirt from Sky and sniffed, surprised to find it clean-smelling. Good enough, he thought as he shrugged into it.

"What?" He demanded as Sky shook his head ruefully.

The ranger pointed at an open drawer in the small dresser Jack had picked up at the thrift store. There were clothes in it. Folded. Jack shucked his cotton sleep pants and pulled on a pair of jeans. They were clean, and the hole in the back seam was mended.

"Huh."

Rolling his eyes, Sky scribbled in his notepad.

Dresser clothes storage.

"I know that," Jack scowled, but ruined it with a yawn.

Sky's expression clearly doubted that.

Before Jack could think of a sufficiently witty response, Sky started undressing, and Jack caught himself staring at the other man's bare legs and ass.

Quickly, Jack turned away to find his wallet and keys, willing his body back under control. He wanted to feel like a jerk for being fixated on that flash of bare skin, but Jack was only human, dammit. He'd made do with just his hand the past weeks, and if he sometimes wanted nothing more than to reach out and touch Sky, to do more than just reassure himself Sky was really there--

So maybe he was a jerk, because he was supposed to be helping Sky. Jack hadn't needed to be told to let Sky set the physical boundaries between them, since Sky had been prickly enough about his personal space before all of this, and Jack respected that. This thing between them had been all about adjusting to each other, getting used to having someone closer than either of them had ever allowed before.

But seeing Sky naked-- Damn.

He needed to stop thinking about himself. Sky needed his help, not for Jack to perv on him.

Jack pocketed his wallet, then scrubbed at his face in a poor attempt to wake up.

"I gotta run down to the warehouse," he said, focusing on the task at hand. "Apparently Piggy did something stupid with the deed."

Sky snorted as he buttoned up his khakis.

"Yeah, I know. But his heart's in the right place." Jack paused. "I should be back before your appointment--"

Scribbling quickly, Sky passed Jack the notepad and headed for the kitchen.

Don't worry. Meet you at SPD. Go fix Piggy.

Reading the last sentence, Jack laughed. "That just sounds wrong."

Sky waved him off, fiddling with the coffeemaker. Jack headed for the door, but changed directions in the living room, stopping next to Sky instead. Not-touching be damned.

Grinning, he curled his hand around the back of Sky's neck and dragged him down for a quick and dirty kiss. After a moment of tension, Sky relaxed into his touch. When Jack stepped back, Sky was smirking at him, lips swollen and wet, hair mussed.

"Gotta run," Jack said, turning on his heel and booking it.

Sky was gonna be fine. He repeated the mantra like he did every time he left the apartment. Sky would be fine, and now Jack had to go sort out whatever mess Piggy had gotten them into this time.

Life was almost normal.

Jack didn't make it to the SPD building until over an hour later. Sky's appointment had already started, but Sky had told Jack the night before that Jack didn't need to come into the lab with him. So. That left him with time to get some answers.

Entering the brightly lit lobby was kind of surreal. When Jack and Z had first been brought to SPD headquarters, Jack had joked that the place looked like the inside of a shopping mall. But after being away for so long… Well, Jack never thought he'd actually miss the place. He'd been out to lunch with his old teammates, and once he'd dropped in to say hello to Cruger and Kat, but he kind of missed the feeling of belonging he'd had as the red ranger. That whole 'being part of something bigger' Z had talked about. Which wasn't to say that he didn't prefer his new life, especially since he was now able to enjoy certain perks that no longer fell under the jurisdiction of 'anti-fraternization policies.'

He had been tempted to bypass security and see how far he'd make it before they realized he was wandering around, but maybe Sky had finally rubbed off on him because he dismissed the idea almost as soon as it occurred to him. Too much paperwork anyway and Jack wanted Cruger willing to answer his questions, not lecture him.

But it would have been funny.

Visitor's pass secured on the collar of his jacket, Jack headed for the command room. Boom noticed him first, trailing off in the middle of his sentence and offering a hesitant smile. Jack nodded in greeting, but didn't waste time with pleasantries. Besides, Cruger didn't look surprised at the visit.

"Let's go for a walk," Cruger offered before Jack could speak.

"Yeah, sure." Snapping his mouth shut, Jack fell into step with the Sirian as they returned to the hallway.

Cruger led him to an empty veranda, ignoring the curious looks from SPD personnel they encountered. Normally, Jack would have stopped to chat with the people he recognized, but he was on a mission today.

"Sky's seeing Kat at the moment," Cruger said once the door closed behind them. "How has he been this past week?"

Coming to stand next to Cruger at the balcony's handrail, Jack wasn't interested in the view of the city. He met Cruger's gaze unflinching.

"I can't help him if I don't have all of the information, sir."

This time, Cruger looked away. The tall alien stood with his hands resting at the small of his back, expression neutral.

When Jack finally asked, "Sir?" again in a warning tone, Cruger appeared to come to a decision.

"Traces of an organic poison were found in Sky's system upon his return two weeks ago," the commander finally said. "Kat couldn't detect any residual damage from his exposure at that time, so it may have just been a byproduct of what Korinnic used to subdue him. It cleared his system within 24 hours of his treatment for dehydration."

That, no one had told him. Frowning, Jack shook his head. "So what does that mean? That Sky's voice is permanently gone?"

"Or that the poison wasn't what caused him to lose his voice in the first place--"

"So what, you're saying he's doing this on purpose?" He demanded heatedly.

"That is not what I said, Jack," Cruger snapped, then growled, wearily rubbing his forehead. "It could be post-traumatic stress disorder. But at the moment, Korinnic is claiming that he psychically attacked Sky, rendering him unable to speak in order to keep their location undiscovered."

Jack ground his teeth. What he wouldn't do for a badge at the moment. "Well, did he?"

"Honestly, we don't know." Cruger rested his paws on the railing. "He's attempting to use the situation as a bargaining chip, offering to restore Sky's voice in exchange for a reduced sentence."

Jack snorted. "Like Sky would want him back in his head, if Korinnic did do anything to him."

"Korinnic realizes how vulnerable we are right now," Cruger said grimly. "With the red ranger out of action, the city's defenses have effectively been halved. This isn't like sending the A squad out on a mission. Thing's have changed since Grumm's defeat. If we replace Sky for an extended period of time, the SPD forces as well as the public will be demoralized. We've been fielding questions from the press since we announced Sky had been found. Korinnic knows he's placed us in a very precarious position, but we still don't know if that was his original intent, or if he was hired to do so by another operative.

"We've had him for two weeks now and he hasn't been forthcoming. Z has been leading the investigation, but they've found few leads and Sky hasn't been able to provide any new information."

Jack was silent for a moment. Post-traumatic stress he understood. Everybody broke. Part of a cadet's mandatory training included courses focusing on how to cope with events that happened in the line of duty. The manual was very explicit on that subject, too.

"So, shouldn't Sky be seeing the department shrink?" He asked suspiciously. "Couldn't they decide if it's PTSD or Korinnic? Have you even asked him?"

Cruger gave him an unimpressed look at the question. "Sky reported that Korinnic does have psychic abilities but can only cause hallucinations, which our own tests support. SPD Command has psychics available that would be able to determine if there is a psychic command keeping Sky from speaking, but unfortunately, he has refused to allow them to examine him. Which is understandable, given how invasive such inquiries can be."

Looking out over the city, Cruger stood straighter. "I could have ordered Sky to cooperate. The SPD psychology team declared him mentally competent in their initial interview. It would have been within my rights as his superior officer, and Commander Birdy's been… 'hinting' that I should take a firmer stance. But he doesn't know Sky."

Jack nodded, unease and concern roiling in his chest. The more they pushed, the harder Sky would resist, and for Korinnic to be able to get past his defenses-- Sky wouldn't want to put himself in a position like that again.

But if Cruger made it a direct order and Sky still refused, he could be removed from duty permanently. The SPD was Sky's life. If Sky was willing to put his position in jeopardy over the review, it was a huge deal.

Sighing, Cruger gave him a sympathetic look. His massive paw cupped Jack's shoulder.

"I'll only be able to postpone the psychic inquiry for another two weeks, Jack. That's how much leave he has left. At that point, he'll either have to prove that he's fit for duty, or submit to the inquiry. If he fails to cooperate in either situation, I will be forced to accept his resignation, voluntary or not."

This was not how Jack hoped his meeting with Cruger would go.

"I understand," he said after a moment, looking away. "It sucks, but I get it. Let's hope Sky does, too."

"I think he does. That's why I asked you to step in." Cruger gave Jack a wry look. "You never did answer my question. How has he been?"

Loyalties warring, Jack shrugged to buy time. Cruger had come clean to him…

"He's had a couple panic attacks. Some trouble sleeping. He hasn't wanted to talk about it, and I haven't pushed."

"Has his appetite resumed?" If Cruger thought the question was odd, he didn't show it. Considering that was one of the main reasons they cited for having Sky live off-base, Jack supposed it was understandable. He knew every answer he gave would be cross-checked with the answers Sky gave Kat.

"He's been eating normally enough. Maybe not as much as he packed away before, but I think he's put a few pounds on." Jack chuckled. "Everyone in the building's been giving us food, so I think he feels obligated to eat. Which is good."

"Good." Cruger's eyes sharpened. "How have you been?"

Jack paused. "Fine."

Cruger obviously didn't believe him. "Don't forget to take care of yourself, too."

"Hey, you know me. When have I ever failed to look out for myself?" He joked with a wide grin. At Cruger's dubious expression, Jack quickly changed the subject. "So, how's Isinia doing?"

His former commander acknowledged the diversionary tactic with a raised eyebrow, but started talking, so Jack relaxed.

If he wasn't sure how he felt, how could he explain it to anyone else?

Sky was just coming out of the lab when Jack arrived after seeing Cruger back to the command center.

"Hey. Everything cool?" He asked casually.

Sky's face was impassive, but he started walking towards the main entrance at a fast clip and Jack hurried to keep pace. He hated being shorter than Sky, he really did. Sticking his hands in his jacket pockets, he tried to look normal. At least no one tried to stop them. The security guard at the exit nodded to them and then they were on the street.

"Seriously," Jack said, keeping his tone light. "Just give me a thumbs up or down, and I won't freak out."

A sideways thumb quickly flashed in front of him.

"That's technically a non-answer."

Stopping abruptly on the street corner, Sky yanked his notepad out of his pants pocket and started scribbling in it. Jack gave the people around them apologetic looks as they got in the way of foot traffic while Sky finished.

The pad was thrust into Jack's hand and then Sky was stalking off, in the opposite direction of Jack's apartment. Reading quickly as he tailed his-- whatever, Jack frowned.

No change. No voice. All tests clean. Nothing else Kat can do.

"Sky," he called after the other man's retreating back. Sky kept walking, into the public park. Jack stopped, sighing.

He was supposed to give Sky space, right? He watched the tense line of Sky's shoulders, and tried not to feel frustrated at the man, Korinnic, SPD, the entire situation-- Sometimes, life sucked. But it didn't have to. It only really started to suck when you gave up.

He jogged to catch up.

Sky was standing in the shade of some evergreens, shoulders hunched as he watched a youth soccer game in the far field. Jack came to stand next to him.

"I talked to Cruger," Jack said, staring at Sky's face even as Sky refused to meet his gaze. He waved the notepad in the space between them. "I know what this means, all right? And it's your choice what you want to do. No matter how much I hate to see you hurting, I'll back you up, whatever you decide. Just." He swallowed, glancing down at the grass. "I'm here, okay? And I--"

Heart pounding, he couldn't get the words out.

Jack swallowed again, looking out at the kids yelling and having a good time. He knew Sky couldn't give up being a ranger without giving up a piece of himself, and Jack really didn't want to watch that. Didn't want to think about what that would do to him, what it would do to Jack to watch it happen. But he'd stay through it. He wasn't going to leave.

"I'm here," he repeated quietly.

Sky pulled his hands out of his pockets, and for a moment Jack thought that he was reaching for the notepad, so he held it out. Accepting it with a rueful snort, Sky shoved it in his pocket, then reached for Jack again. His palm slid into Jack's, damp with sweat but solid. Reassuring.

He waited until Jack was looking at him, then raised his right hand to his lips, hand held flat, and moved it downwards, away from his face. Jack looked confused.

Thank you, Sky mouthed at him, squeezing his hand.

"No need to," Jack said solemnly, returning the tight grip.

Tugging him closer, Sky smiled at him. Jack went easily, grinning into Sky's shoulder as the other man embraced him. Strong arms wrapped around him, hands sliding down into the back pockets of Jack's jeans as Sky's breath warmed his neck, and Jack tucked his own hands under Sky's polo shirt, letting his fingers splay out across Sky's back.

They stood like that in the shade of the trees, tightly entwined, and Jack wondered if this was another beginning. Before, they'd stood in the rain and promised to be there for each other, and it had gotten them this far. Jack figured it would keep them going a while longer.

This time, when he told himself Sky was gonna be fine, he started to believe it.

PART FIVE

"I just have one more thing to do before we head home," Jack promised. Again. He'd said it before the last stop, but he had totally forgotten his promise to Mrs. Pheltin, and he didn't want to risk going back to the building without completing her errand.

After leaving the park, Sky hadn't felt like returning to Jack's apartment, so he had gone with Jack on his runs. Jack figured Sky showing an interest in the outside world was a good thing, and he hadn't minded the company at all.

He kept talking as he led Sky down the right street. "What're you in the mood for, for dinner? We still have that leftover casserole from Monday night. Or the meatloaf from Tuesday. Mrs. Amrose always cooks to feed an army-- It's this one, here."

Sky just shrugged, more interested in the woodworker's shop Jack stopped at. The sign on the door said closed, but Jack knew it would be unlocked and let himself in. Looking around, Sky frowned a question at Jack. With a smile, Jack headed to the back of the store, up a rickety flight of stairs. There was a card table set up in the ramshackle room at the top, and Jack barely noticed the haze of pipe smoke anymore, though Sky's nose wrinkled.

"Hey, Tog," Jack called out, catching the attention of the card players. One of the older lizardmen looked up at the greeting, back hunched over the table. "You stayin' out of trouble?"

"Hah! That's my line, kid." Tog barked out a laugh, setting his hand of cards face down in front of him. "How the hell ya been?"

"Life's treating me well." As Jack moved closer into the room, he nodded at the other players. "Hey guys."

He got a round of responses and Tog stood up, scooping his winnings into his hat with a pointed look at his friends. Then he looked curiously behind Jack at Sky.

"Who's this guy, Jacky boy?" The grey-skinned reptile asked with a leer. "You finally get yourself some muscle, seein' as how you're in such a dangerous line a work?"

The mocking laughter this elicited from the man's cronies made Sky cross his arms and glare with his best "Don't fuck with me" expression, which normally would have amused Jack, but Tog was elbowing him and he had to politely dodge the pointy limbs.

"Nah, this is Sky. He's an old friend." His emphasis on the last two words made the snickering die down, and Tog nodded more respectfully at him.

"In that case, nice ta meetcha, Sky old friend."

Sky nodded awkwardly in return.

"Don't say much, do ya?"

Jack cleared his throat and said matter-of-factly, "Do you have the order I put in or not?"

Glancing at him, Tog accepted the change of subject easily, plucking a folded and frayed sheet of paper from the inside brim of his hat.

"Indeed I do, Jacky boy. Just need you to sign this here receipt and Mrs. Pheltin'll be two-stepping again in no time."

Tension in his shoulders easing, Jack scribbled his signature on the donation slip.

"Thanks, Tog. We really appreciate it, and here…" He dug out a small paper bag from his coat pocket. "With Mrs. Pheltin's thanks, of course."

The other card players hooted at the color of Tog's face, but the lizardman accepted the tea with a gruff mumble.

"Yeah, well. Just tell Livia to leave her dance card open this weekend."

Jack didn't bother to hide his grin as Tog turned away to his work table. Glancing at Sky, he smiled at the ranger's bemused expression.

One of the players asked around his pipe, "When're you two old farts going to admit that you're courting, Tog-man?"

"Mind your business, Gig," Tog sniffed and handed over a neatly wrapped parcel. "There you go, kid. Now skedaddle. We have some serious playing to do here."

"You mean serious losing, Tog!"

"Shaddup already, ya vultures."

Taking the package, Jack gestured for Sky to head back down the stairs. "See you around."

The noise of the game had started back up, so no one replied. Jack shrugged and the two men departed, package safely tucked under Jack's arm.

"Mrs. Pheltin's going to be glad to have this back," he said absently once they hit the sidewalk again. "She's been stuck in her chair for over a week, with mostly Miloz helping. I know I'd be going crazy--"

Two hands shoved into his lower back, hard enough to push him off balance, and the package was ripped out of his hands. Recovering before he could hit the pavement, Jack looked around quickly, shouting.

"Hey!"

A small figure was sprinting down the side alley, sweatshirt hood covering his face. He was either a kid or a really small alien. Sky was already in pursuit, long strides catching up to the thief before they reached the other side of the alley, though it was close.

Jogging to where Sky easily held their flailing assailant aloft, Jack plucked the paper-wrapped box out of clawed hands. Alien, then.

"Lemme go!" The thief started yowling in a high-pitched voice. "Fire! Rape! Help!"

Rolling his eyes at Jack, Sky shifted his burden to one arm and yanked back the sweatshirt hood. A furry head with cat ears was revealed, freckled face screwed up in another hair-raising yowl as she struggled. She couldn't have been older than ten, and she was wearing herself out, trying to get away.

Shaking his head, Sky retrieved his SPD officer's shield from his pocket and held it in front of the kid's face. The kid slumped in his arms, ears lying flat.

"Well, crap," she muttered.

"Yeah," Jack said dryly. "You wanna tell us what you're doing knocking people down and running off with wooden legs?"

"Wooden legs?" The kid perked up, fixing bright green eyes on him. "There was a leg in there? Awesome! Can I see it?"

The painfully earnest expression didn't sway him, or Sky, if the other man's unimpressed look said anything.

"No. But you can come down to the station with us so we can call your parents." He tried to look severe. "What's your name?"

Pouting, the kid dropped the innocent act and glared at him. "Tell this goomba to put me down, or I ain't talking, copper."

Sky arched an offended eyebrow. Jack was hard put not to laugh.

"Promise not to run?" He asked, knowing it wouldn't be worth much if the kid wanted to take off. She had an unkempt look he'd seen all too often on the streets.

"Yeah, sure," she muttered. Sky must have moved his arm because she glowered up at him. "Fine, I promise, but you ain't taking me down to the Cooler."

Jack really was hard put not to laugh.

Sky set her on her feet, but kept a hold on her sweatshirt hood. She sighed dramatically and crossed her arms.

"Look, I thought it had food in it, okay? Can't blame a fellow for being hungry, now can ya?"

Definitely a street kid.

"There are places you can get food," Jack said gently, crouching down to her eye level. "I work for a group that runs one. You don't have to steal."

Not that that had ever stopped him and Z, but then, there hadn't been as many programs as there were now when he was younger.

"Ah jeez. You ain't one a them born agains are ya?" She rolled her eyes. "Bad enough I hadda dodge them nuns."

"Believe me, I'm not," Jack chuckled. "But I do know what it's like to be down on your luck."

She scuffed the ground. "I suppose anybody carrying around a leg in a box would."

Sky snorted behind her and she craned her neck to look up at him.

"What's with Gloom Cookie here?" The kid sneered, kicking half-heartedly at Sky's shin. "Ain't he supposed to be readin' me my rights?"

Jack chuckled.

"His name's Sky, and my name's Jack." He offered his hand, which she shook reluctantly.

"Gabe," she said with a disinterested sniff. "You gonna let me go now?"

"You did try to steal my box," Jack pointed out. "We'll have to take you down to Child--"

Her stomach growled loudly, interrupting, and he frowned. She did look majorly underfed, and processing at Child Service took forever. There was a little Italian place nearby that he and Sky ate at frequently, and they had just been talking about food.

"Look, Gabe, there's a diner right down the street. Why don't we buy you dinner?"

He ignored Sky's incredulous look.

Gabe glared at him suspiciously. "How do I know you ain't creepy child molesters?"

Jack laughed and stood up.

"He may be off duty, but Sky actually is with SPD. He's a power ranger." He waited to see if she'd react, but she just gave him a look. He added, "I'm a retired ranger. We're on the level."

Considering for a moment, Gabe finally shrugged and said, "Sure, why not. But nothing funny, yeah?"

Sky sighed in resignation and motioned for Jack to lead the way. He figured the lecture would wait for when Sky had access to a computer to type up a few pages.

The diner was close, so Jack only had enough time to ask Gabe where her parents were again.

"They got pie here?" She demanded instead of responding. Sky held the door open for them.

"Lemon and blueberry," Jack answered dryly. He guessed from the attitude that she'd been on the streets for at least a few months, if not more. Sadly, kids her age could make a go of it on their own if they had to.

The place wasn't terribly crowded, so Sky grabbed a booth in the corner, sitting so he could see the room. Jack waved at the lady behind the counter, who had scowled when she saw Gabe.

"Hi there, Jack. Sky," she said warily when she came over to the table. "I see you've made a friend."

"This is Gabe, Linda."

Gabe returned Linda's suspicious glare. "We've met."

"I'm sure," Jack grinned. "Order what you want."

Sky slid a menu over to here, but she just glanced at it and said, "I'll get whatever you're getting."

Jack figured she either had problems reading or hadn't learned how to yet.

"Hope you like eggplant then," he said with a smile. She grimaced.

Tapping his arm, Sky pointed at the manicotti listing on the menu.

"We'll have two orders of eggplant parmigiana, and one manicotti," Jack told Linda, who gave Sky a questioning glance. Jack said lightly, "He lost his voice."

"Oh no," Linda exclaimed. "I'm sorry to hear that. Would you like some tea?"

Sky just nodded politely while Jack ducked his head to hide his amusement. Apparently tea was a universal cure. Sky would never drink it again after all this.

"These goons really power rangers?" Gabe demanded as Linda headed for the counter.

Linda gave her an amused look. "That's right, kid. Don't you ever watch the news?"

Waiting until Linda had turned away from the table, Gabe stuck out her tongue. Jack frowned.

"So you lost your voice, huh?" Gabe said to Sky before Jack could comment. "That must suck."

Sky shrugged.

"I lost my voice once," she continued blithely. "Couldn't find it for a week. Looked everywhere. Ba-bum-bum."

She mimed a drum roll. Sky arched an eyebrow.

"You been on the streets long?" Jack came right out and asked. He figured she would respond best to direct questions.

Gabe twirled her fork. "I got a home to go to."

Right. Jack knew they couldn't help her if she didn't want them to, and that they should probably just turn her over to Child Services, but he wanted to try. In all likelihood, she was just sitting through their company to get a free meal.

"You go to school?"

She looked out the window, tapping the fork. "Yeah."

"What's your favorite subject?"

"Reading," she said right away. "I'm real good at it. Everybody says so. I do the readings out loud in class all the time."

Jack nodded, letting the defensive set of her shoulders slide. "I always liked reading the best, too. I made my mom read me Robin Hood every night."

"What's that one?" Gabe perked up, ears twitching.

Jack explained the story line, Sky silently observing them while Gabe fidgeted. Linda stopped by with drinks and salads. Gabe sniffed hers with a frown, but started eating anyway.

"Why would he give all the money away?" She scoffed. "That's so stupid."

"Because it was the right thing to do."

"Stupid thing to do," Gabe grumbled, but the entrees arrived and she was distracted.

Jack and Sky exchanged looks while she shoveled her food in. Nor did they fail to note when she pocketed two of the bread rolls she'd placed near her plate. They were going to have to turn her over to Child Services, if only to cite the parents that would let her get to this point. If she had parents, which Jack doubted.

She cleared the plate in half the time it took them to finish theirs, chattering on the entire time about old black and white movies while surreptitiously watching Sky's hands. Jack wondered about it until she picked up her neglected napkin and placed it in her lap, then held her knife at the same angle Sky used his.

When she was done, she turned wide eyes on them.

"I have to use the bathroom," she said, standing up.

Jack figured she was going to make a break for it, but she went straight to the restroom in the back. Sky nudged him with a pointed elbow, and Jack spread his hands wide.

"What? If we took her down without feeding her first, it would be hours before she had more than snacks from the vending machine."

Sky shook his head and rolled his eyes.

"I am not a sucker," Jack said defensively.

Gabe returned before things could deteriorate. She paused at the end of the table, blinking innocently at Jack. With an impulsive expression, she launched herself at him for a hug.

"Thanks so much for dinner. I haven't eaten this much in ages." She stepped back with a sniff. "It's nice to know there are swell guys like you out there."

"That's sweet," Jack drawled. "Can I have my wallet back now?"

Glowering, the kid dug it out of her baggy sweatshirt with a sigh. "Here."

"Thanks." He tucked it back in his jacket pocket. Linda walked up the aisle, tray balanced on her shoulder, and cleared their dishes.

Gabe was lingering at his side, so Jack asked, "You want dessert? There's pie."

"Sure," she said, hesitating for a moment.

Unexpectedly, she struck out, sending Linda's tray flying. Dishes shattered on the floor, leftover food splattered across the table and window, and Jack had to lunge out of the booth to keep Linda from falling. A woman in the next booth over screamed.

When the commotion died down, Gabe was gone. He debated giving chase, but she had enough of a head start that they probably wouldn't catch her.

Jack looked over his shoulder at Sky, who was calmly wiping his face with a clean napkin. The look he leveled at Jack was amused, if rueful. Jack didn't need him to speak to hear the "That went well."

"Sorry," Jack said to Linda, who had her hand on her hips. She glared at the door.

"Not your fault," she conceded and shook her head.

He sighed and started helping her clean up.

"What a day," Jack groaned as they trudged into the apartment. Mrs. Pheltin had been in a fine pique at Miloz when they'd dropped off her package, and they'd sat through a rant they couldn't escape without being rude. "Remind me never to be nice to anyone ever again."

Sky snorted and flicked on the floor lamp.

Stripping as he walked to the bedroom, Jack grimaced. His shirt had marinara stains on it, and he knew from experience the washer wouldn't get them out. He balled it up and aimed for where his dirty clothes pile used to be. Sky caught the shirt midair and gave him an exasperated look.

"What?"

Shucking out of his stained khakis, Sky grabbed them and the shirt, and went over to the kitchen sink in just his t-shirt and boxers. Jack admired the view before sitting down to take off his boots.

He had his jeans halfway unbuttoned when he yawned and flopped back on the bed. The day had really sucked.

Sky's bare feet padded across the wooden floors, coming to stand next to the bed. When a knee nudged his leg, Jack opened his eyes, tucking his arms under his head. Giving him an inscrutable look, Sky sat next to him.

"You okay?" He asked softly, remembering the scene in the park.

Sky lifted one shoulder in a half-shrug and stretched out beside Jack, head propped on his fist. He rested his other hand on Jack's chest, over his heart, and Jack stared at it, watching the rise and fall of his own breathing. A flush spread across his skin, up his cheeks, the closer Sky swayed with each breath.

When Sky's head ducked close to his, Jack turned to meet his lips, body singing at the gentle touch. Desire flared from the sensitive skin of his lips down to his groin. Slowly, he reached up to run his fingers through Sky's short hair. Breathing heavily, Sky deepened the kiss, tongue exploring Jack's mouth while the hand on his chest curled into a fist. Jack shifted, letting Sky's body cover his, feeling the warmth, the pressure, the matching erection trapped against his leg. He moaned, wrapping his other arm around Sky's shoulder.

Too soon, Sky pulled away, gulping air. His eyes were tightly shut, face flushed, but he didn't go far, forehead resting against Jack's. A tremor wracked his tall frame.

"It's okay," Jack whispered. "It's okay."

Sky shook his head, breath caressing Jack's cheek. His hands gripped convulsively at Jack, who just relaxed into him, let him hold on however he needed to as Jack willed his own erection away.

"It's okay."

Jack ran his hands along Sky's back, over the tense muscles, and he kept murmuring, "We're fine. We're okay."

Sky clung to him until he wore himself out, slumping into an exhausted heap. Lips moving silently, Jack mouthed all the words he couldn't say aloud into his skin.

PART SIX

Jack figured Sky must have scarred the rest of the team for life, given that the other three rangers didn't show up until a week after Sky's last appointment with Kat. His cell phone rang as he opened a can of pasta sauce, and he glanced at Sky's unmoving form by the fridge before diving to get it.

"Yo!" He shouted after glancing at the caller ID. "Whassup, Z?"

"We're a block away and we come bearing gifts," Z drawled, city noises behind her. "Hope you don't mind some company."

Turning to Sky, seeing the taller man's curious but unalarmed expression, Jack shrugged.

"Well, as long as there's gifts involved…" He joked, and poked at the spaghetti in the pot. There was enough for five, probably. And Bridge would probably just want toast. "You remember what apartment I'm in?"

"Why no, Jack," Z said dryly. "I've only been there how many times--"

Syd squealed in disgust in the background, cutting her off. Z yelled something back about sucking it up and Jack had to laugh. So far, Syd had refused to visit his new place.

"The elevator's out again," he said as he watched Sky stir the sauce in. "She's gonna get the full ghetto experience."

Z chuckled evilly. "We'll be right there."

Snapping his phone shut and tossing it on the couch, Jack glanced at Sky.

"We're about to be invaded," he said dryly.

Sky shrugged. Taking that as a good sign, Jack puttered around, gathering his mismatched plates and cups on the counter.

A few minutes later, there was a sharp rap on the door as Z pushed it open. Syd had a full head of steam going.

"-- cannot be up to fire code standards, I don't care how much they've been patched with gum or duct tape or whatever that was--"

"I found them to be quite structurally sound when I jumped up and down on them," Bridge said over her, waving at Jack and Sky with his free hand, white box in the other. "Hey guys. I brought cake--"

"Don't worry," Z interrupted. "His computer didn't make it. I watched him buy it at the bakery."

"Just wait. One day…" Bridge sighed.

"One day we're going to get a call when your computer burns down headquarters," Syd rolled her eyes. Hefting a fancy carry bag, she smiled. "I brought french bread and wine, since Z is under the impression that anything over fifty proof is appropriate for spaghetti."

"How did you know--" Jack started to ask, but Syd waved him away.

"Please, Jack. This is you and Sky. It was either spaghetti or macaroni and cheese, so I brought a sweet red, a Cabernet Sauvignon, to go with marinara sauce and a light, fruity red for cheese sauces. I hope you like Merlot, because I'll just leave this bottle here for now."

Sweeping into the kitchen, Syd gave Jack a hug, then pulled Sky into one and released him before he could protest. Bridge set his box on the counter next to her bag, and Sky escaped to the other side of the couch as his team took the kitchen space over. Jack just stood back and watched Syd rummage through the drawers, cutting the bread and arranging it artfully.

At his amused look, Z gave him and Sky a wicked grin, unzipping her yellow bookbag and pulling out a bottle of golden liquid.

"Don't worry, brother. I have the good stuff."

Jack found himself grinning back.

"Tequila. This brings back memories."

Snorting, Sky gave the two of them a disbelieving look.

"What?" Z scoffed. "You think we never had a rough night as kids?"

Sky held up mockingly defensive hands, waving her off.

"Sky," Syd called from the kitchen, straining for a rarely-used serving dish on an upper shelf. "Come put that height to good use."

"I can climb on the fridge," Bridge offered helpfully.

Sky went.

Z started hunting for shot glasses.

Watching his former team-- his family-- navigate the small space, laughing and elbowing each other, Jack felt his shoulders loosen. Sky didn't look freaked out, didn't seem skittish or suspicious. The team was treating him like normal, maybe even teasing a little, and that was what he had needed.

"Oh hey," Z snapped her fingers. "I almost forgot."

Coming over to her bag on the couch, she wrestled something out of it.

"Poker!" Z crowed, whipping out a beat-up box Jack remembered from some long nights in the past.

"You still have that?" He laughed, reaching for it and running his fingers through the chips fondly. The cheap red and white plastic bits were cracked and dirty, the deck of cards in with them held together by yellowed scotch tape.

"Bridge is on my team," Syd called over her shoulder.

"It's poker," Z snorted. "You don't have teams. Besides, I say no powers. So no mind reading!"

"I would never--" Bridge started to say.

"Yeah, yeah," Jack interrupted with a smirk. "Less talk, more food. Then we play."

Rubbing his hands together gleefully, he came to stand next to Sky and elbowed him lightly as they waited for Syd to finish artfully arranging the dinner plates.

"I'm gonna wipe the floor with you this time," Jack said matter-of-factly.

Sky chuffed and reached around him for a glass of wine. The last time they'd played a card game, Jack had conceded defeat by throwing his cards away in frustration and ripping Sky's clothes off, just to wipe the smirk off his face. Glancing up at him, Jack's cheeks flushed as their eyes met and Sky gave him a smug grin.

"I'd tell you two to get a room, but I'm hungry," Z complained, motioning for them to get their plates and move out of the way.

Sky's expression was evil. Jack laughed and leaned towards him a little more.

The team stayed until after midnight, finishing off a bottle of wine and trading busted-up poker chips for unwanted shifts or chores. Jack and Z had a few shots of tequila, but nothing heavy, and he was pleasantly buzzed by the time they were packing up for the night.

"You guys gonna be all right to head back?" He asked softly as he opened the apartment door. All of his neighbors were probably asleep by then.

"Oh please, like it was that much," Z sniffed.

"Besides," Bridge interjected. "All we have to do is morph and we'll be completely sober. The morphing process--"

"Blah, blah, blah," Syd said through a yawn. Jack suspected she was a little tipsy. "Explanation unnecessary, Bridge."

"I don't even want to know how you know that," Jack told Bridge, gripping his shoulder as they shook hands. "But be careful anyway."

They said their goodbyes quietly, calling back to Sky, who was drying the dishes Bridge had washed for them. Jack shut the door carefully and yawned wide enough to crack his jaw.

Sauntering over to the kitchen, he wrapped his arms around Sky from behind, stilling the other man's movements. For a moment, he just let his head rest between Sky's shoulder blades and listened to Sky's even breaths. Jack nuzzled at him lazily, then yawned again and gave Sky's belly a pat.

"I'll put up the rest tomorrow," he mumbled. "Bed now."

He knew he won when Sky casually tossed the dishtowel in the rack and tugged at Jack's arms. Jack yawned again. The bed seemed so far away.

Jack searched for his sleepy pants, but Sky just sat on the edge of the bed, toying with his notepad. Something was off, leaching away some of the night's relaxed atmosphere, and Jack wasn't that buzzed anymore.

When Jack paused in the middle of taking off his shirt and looked at him questioningly, Sky sighed and scribbled something down. Jack didn't say anything as he finished getting changed. Instead, he sat on the bed next to Sky and waited.

Bridge offered to go under with me. If I do

The sentence ended abruptly. Sky handed the notepad to Jack and leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees.

Staring down at the pad, Jack didn't feel much surprise. Bridge had been chatting with Sky as they did the dishes earlier, too soft for the others to hear. They were a team, no matter who wore what colors, and they looked out for family.

"You gonna take him up on that?" Jack finally asked, wary of pushing.

But Sky just shrugged and studied his clasped hands. After a moment, he sat up straight again and motioned for Jack to give him the pad.

Has to be done, right? Bridge has better control of his powers, but

Again, Sky stopped mid-sentence, and shrugged, knowing Jack had read over his shoulder.

"But maybe you'd rather have someone you don't know so well do the exam?" Jack said with a flash of insight. When Sky glanced at him, jaw tight, Jack knew he was on the right track. "Hey, I get that. Makes sense. I always preferred when one of the interns did our physicals instead of Kat."

When Sky frowned down at his hands, gripping his pad tightly, Jack couldn't help reaching out, trying to still the frustration and hurt.

"It's whatever you want, man. Your choice. You want Bridge to be the one, then he'll do it. You want one of headquarters' guys instead, Bridge'll understand that too."

Sky nodded. After a moment's hesitation, he wrote, We do what we have to.

His rueful expression when he looked over at Jack made Jack's chest hurt. He wanted to fix this for Sky so badly. But this wasn't his fight.

Breaking eye contact, Sky stared at the empty living room beyond the wall of sheets while Jack stared at him. Sky fingered the worn edges of his notepad and then scribbled more.

He made me forget.

When Jack looked confused, Sky elaborated.

Korinnic. I forgot I was a ranger. I passed out and every time I woke up, it would be worse. In my head. Watching people die. Not knowing if it was real. Thinking it was. I started to doubt everything

He flipped the page after a glance at Jack, who nodded that he had read.

I wasn't even sure if I actually lost my voice or my hearing. I was

Sky stopped writing, glaring at his shaking hand where it rested on the page. Jack laid a hand on his shoulder, feeling the tension building beneath his palm, and started rubbing slowly, just being there. Sky's shoulders slumped when he wrote the next line.

helpless. Completely. I only escaped because K screwed up. Some red ranger

In one motion, Sky threw his pen across the room and tossed the notepad on the floor. He was so tense, he was shaking. But he didn't get up, didn't pull away from the hand on his back. Just sat there with jaw clenched, hands fisted on his knees, so torn and angry--

Jack's heart was racing. He didn't want to crowd Sky, but he couldn't let go, not like this. The rubbing slid into an embrace, and Jack rested his forehead on Sky's boney shoulder. He found his voice, throat tight.

"There's no shame in surviving," he whispered hoarsely. "It was a shitty situation, and I'm sorry you had to go through it."

Slowly, Sky's arms came up to encircle him. For two people who had held the world at arm's length for so many years, they'd burrowed past each other's defenses deep enough, fast enough. Jack squeezed his eyes shut, feeling each tremor wracking Sky's body like it was his own.

They had to be okay, Sky had to be okay, because Jack felt like he wasn't sure of anything anymore. It was easy to tell himself that Sky just needed time, that Jack was still confident in Sky's ability to recover and take care of himself, but here, now, he was so afraid something had broken in the other man and he wouldn't--

"Don't leave me," he murmured into Sky's neck, mouth barely moving. But Sky heard him anyway, tightened his arms, and Jack didn't care if he had bruises in the morning. Didn't care how many nights he had to hold Sky like this, as long as the other man was there.

They sat awkwardly embraced on the edge of the bed-- shaking, tense-- until they were too exhausted and uncomfortable, and then climbed up to the pillows. When Sky curled around him, arms tucked under his, Jack held on. Sleep was a long time coming.

And if, when they woke up still entwined come morning, both their eyes were red and puffy, neither drew attention to it.

They just rolled to face each other, studying each other's faces silently, and held on.

"Officer Tate. Mr. Landors," the field agent greeted them smoothly. She was in a sharp black suit, hair upswept, with thick-rimmed glasses perched on her nose. Her smile was just personal enough to be friendly, but professional enough to keep a comfortable distance.

Sky shook her hand first, then Jack, before they sat at the small conference table. Kat was already seated, expression serious, but Jack could see the worry in her posture, her hands. That reassured him, for some reason.

Agent Kirsch explained what would happen in the office next door, the dimming of the lights, the relaxation techniques-- The procedure itself. Jack tried to listen, but his mind kept replaying Kirsch's offhand warning; if Sky couldn't let his defenses down, they'd try low doses of a hypnotic drug before progressing. Because mentioning that beforehand was so conducive to relaxation. And too much was riding on this--

His foot started jiggling under the table, and Sky placed a heavy hand on his leg, stilling him, while he continued to listen to the agent. Jack stretched his legs out and tried to look calm.

"I'll be monitoring your life signs from this room," Kat finally said gravely. "It'll just take us a few minutes to set things up."

They stood when Kat and Agent Kirsch did, waiting in the conference room while the two women went into the office.

Taking a deep breath, Sky sat back down in his chair, back ramrod straight. Jack sat down next to him, leaning forward on his elbows. Nudging Sky with his shoulder, he smiled reassuringly.

"At least this way we'll know, right?"

Sky jotted down on his notepad, Maybe.

Jack rolled his eyes. "Gloom cookie."

Realist. Don't call me that. Sky glared at the use of the street kid's nickname for him.

"Pessimist. And she was right, you are a gloom cookie."

Bopping him on the head with his notepad, Sky looked threateningly at him. Jack just laughed and sprawled in his chair.

"It'll be fine."

Sky shook his head and gazed at Jack with an unreadable expression.

"What?"

Hesitating, Sky quickly scribbled, Doesn't anything faze you? Aren't you

He started to write "afraid," but scratched the question out, not meeting Jack's eyes. Jack stared at the notepad for a moment, then shrugged and looked away. It had probably cost Sky a lot to write that, but Jack didn't know how to respond.

"Plenty of things," he finally said quietly. "But you do what you gotta, right?"

When Sky didn't write down a response immediately, Jack glanced over at him. He realized what he was seeing in Sky's gaze, and in a way, that made it easier to reach for the hand on Sky's knee, to thread his fingers through Sky's, even though neither of them really did that in public.

"I spent two weeks in hell, just wondering where you were. But I figure, whatever I can imagine, it was fifty times worse for you," Jack said quietly, staring at the polished tabletop. "So yeah, I worry about a lot of stuff. Probably more things now than a year ago. But I have you. Here. Makes it easier."

Sky squeezed his hand tightly, but when Jack glanced at him, he was looking intently at their tangled fingers, running his thumb over alternating bands of brown and white.

Jack just watched him until Agent Kirsch returned.

"Everything's ready, Officer Tate," she said with another bland smile, probably trying to look reassuring.

Sky tensed next to him, but stood up first. Jack stood as well, reluctantly letting Sky's hand go. Kat was fiddling with a laptop at the other end of the computer

"I guess I'll just crash out there," he said with a grin. Sky nodded, thoughts obviously on the room beyond, but he did touch Jack's elbow one last time. Reassurance.

When the office door closed behind them, Jack gave Kat a tight grin and went to the other door in the room.

"I'll be in the lab." He couldn't sit around here, watching Sky's stats hop all over and not know what was going on.

"He'll be fine, Jack. It'll be over before you know it."

Jack just nodded and went out into the bright lab. He sucked in a deep breath, but it felt like there was a band around his chest. He started to pace, but stopped himself and sat on a lab stool.

The main lab doors whooshed open a few minutes later, Bridge and Syd coming through. Jack grinned at them, an echo of his usual cockiness.

"Oh, is he already in there?" Syd asked, disappointed.

"Just missed him."

Maybe it was something in his tone or his stance, but they didn't press Jack for any further conversation and just came to stand around the lab table with him.

Bridge started tinkering with the guts of whatever mechanical thing was laid out, and he flicked a bolt at Jack, who pinged it back, so they started an impromptu finger football match. Syd watched from the sidelines, waiting for a few volleys to flick her own and knock their bolt out of the air.

It passed the time.

"You would not believe the training session I just had!" Z exclaimed as she joined them at the half hour mark.

Jack got a swift, bone-crushing hug as she smirked and detailed all the ways the rookies were going to get them killed, if their training sessions were anything to go by. He let her familiar voice distract him, ground him.

SPD was still reviewing potential Green Rangers, since all three cadets promoted to the position in the past year hadn't been able to handle it. There were a few stories he hadn't already heard, so Jack leaned his elbows on the lab table and smiled at his friend's jokes.

He thought he was doing pretty good until Z grabbed his arm on the fiftieth time he looked toward the closed doors.

"Jack. Chill."

"I'm cool. Really, Z."

The doors opened and he shot to his feet. Agent Kirsch came out first, file under her arm and expression as inscrutable as before. Sky was next, and Jack hurried forward, flanked by the team.

Agent Kirsch offered Sky her hand, which he took after a beat.

"Thank you, Officer Tate. I'll file the appropriate paperwork with your superiors."

Sky nodded his thanks in return. Kat hovered behind him, and her expression lightened when Jack caught her eye.

"I'll go let the commander know the good news," she said, smiling wide enough to show her fangs.

As she escorted the agent out, Sky turned to them. He looked like he'd just gone a few rounds with Grumm while blindfolded, but he managed a weak grin.

"Hey," he rasped.

Jack whooped and pounced him.

They had an impromptu party at SPD command, but Sky still couldn't speak loudly or for long periods without coughing. Kat assured them that was normal after such a length of disuse, a habit he'd have to overcome.

Jack didn't care. The shadows haunting Sky's eyes hadn't completely dispelled, but he already held himself easier, more confidently. They still had a ways to go in dealing with everything-- visits with the department shrink, re-qualifying for active duty-- but they'd cleared the first hurdle.

He didn't think twice about it when Sky came back to the apartment with him after the party. They hadn't gotten a chance to talk, not when everyone was offering congratulations and thumping each other on the back. Jack knew he and Sky had been removed from most of the anxiety that had blanketed the SPD, another reason Sky had stayed at his place, but the obvious recovery of the Red Ranger was cause for everyone to celebrate.

Jack thought about mentioning the living arrangements when, as they entered the dark efficiency apartment, he was struck both by the normality of Sky's silence and the thought that they could converse aloud now if they wanted.

But he didn't say anything as they shed their jackets and shoes, took turns in the bathroom and at the kitchen sink like they had for the past four weeks. This was-- habit. A comforting routine. Which Jack had never really thought about until he'd been sucked into the SPD and then Sky's structured life.

He wanted to question it as he crawled into bed, bone-weary; Was Sky staying just for the night, like he had before? Or until he was back on duty?

Staring up at the ceiling, Jack let his eyes adjust to the dark as Sky turned off the lights. The bed dipped as Sky sat down, then laid back. The other man shifted until he was comfortable, their shared body heat just adding to Jack's sleepiness, and he wondered what it would be like to wake up alone again after Sky was gone.

Jack didn't want him to leave, though. He could admit that now, like maybe saying everything else had made it easier. He'd told Sky some of his worst fears, let Sky see the longing underneath, and hadn't been pushed away. He wasn't the type of person to lament the past or admit to fear, normally. Stuff happened. You dealt with it, and either you got over it and you moved on, or you just moved on until it went away.

But he didn't think he would ever get over Sky, and he'd never really let anyone that close before.

He let out a deep breath through his nose, and closed his eyes, trying to sleep. Next to him, Sky rolled over on his side to face Jack. Jack's eyes shot open, but Sky's breathing was even, steady.

Jack waited, staring at the line of Sky's hip in the dim glow from the window. He didn't know what he was anticipating, really. A nightmare? A peaceful night? Where did they go from here?

"There was a psychic suggestion," Sky said hoarsely, mouth close in the darkness.

Sky's breathing didn't change, remained steady, but Jack tensed in response.

"Or a hypnotic one, maybe. Kirsch wasn't sure. Maybe it was a defense mechanism. Like my brain was overwhelmed with the hallucinations and just kept a part shut down until she told it they were gone. Like maybe I hadn't really believed they were until then." His words were punctuated with a small cough. "Still have therapy either way."

Jack snorted, reaching for Sky's hand under the blanket and bumping into his belly, his elbow.

"I'd say therapy was a good thing, but then I'd have to commit ritual suicide," he murmured as he poked Sky playfully.

Sky chuffed a laugh and captured his wandering hand, pulling it up to his chest.

"Maybe it won't be so bad. I've gone before, after my dad. Didn't do much good then," Sky mused as he moved closer, rolling up onto an elbow, looming over Jack.

"But then, I'd like to think I'm smarter now," he continued softly.

A hand was on Jack's cheek, Sky slowly lowering his mouth, and relief flooded through Jack as soft lips pressed against his own. He groaned as Sky's body covered his, weight pinning him to the mattress.

This was the touch that Jack had been waiting for— One based on connection, on want and comfort, almost lacking the tinge of desperate fear and confusion and hurt of the last month that had colored all of their touches, their kisses. They both knew what they stood to lose, and it was a fear they wouldn't soon forget.

Jack carded his fingers through Sky's short hair, wanting more but letting Sky set the pace. They were both exhausted and he wouldn't push him; there wasn't any reason. They had time.

So he focused on enjoying their kiss, wet and open and honest, and he let his worries go for the night. Lost himself in the familiar touch.

"Thank you," Sky whispered in his ear, cheek resting against his, lips branding him.

Jack grinned into his skin, curling a leg around Sky's calf and trailing his hands lower. He didn't need thanks, not from Sky.

"Any time."

They were partners, after all.

END distorted within.

'They Say'

They say
Love grows
When the fear of death
Looms.

They say
Courage looms
When the fear
Of never loving again
Disappears
In the smell of the enemy
Who crushes us so much
We can only fight.

Love and courage grow together
When the flesh is rawest
And the spirit charged.
And distorted within the nightmare
We see the possibility
Of a future.

-- Ben Okri