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Sky doesn’t know what to expect when he’s called down to the lobby by Kat.
She sounded… weirdly happy, and it’s throwing Sky off.
So he walks down the stairs, and he sighs when he sees that familiar blonde.
“Mom…” He groans, and she spins on her heel.
And then she smiles at Sky.
“There you are, Sky! I’ve been waiting for you!”
Sky flinches back.
“What?” He starts. “You haven’t called me Sky since…”
“Since what, huh?” A familiar voice starts, and Sky’s heart stops.
Sky whirls around, and it’s…
“I’m dreaming.” He whispers. “I’m dreaming, I have to be.”
“You’re not dreaming.” His dad responds, and Kat walks over and pats his shoulder.
“Surprise!” She laughs.
“But… how?!” Sky gasps. “You… you died! Twelve years ago tomorrow!”
Sky’s dad shakes his head.
“Nah, I didn’t. I was just trapped in Mirloc’s mirror dimension. When your friend shattered the mirrors, it let everyone that was trapped out. Including me. I was unconscious in an off-world hospital for a bit. But, I just had to get home.”
Sky’s… shaking.
And the next thing he knows, he’s rushing on pure instinct and practically tackling his dad in the tightest hug he can.
“Still daddy’s little ranger, huh?” Kat teases, and he can’t even bring himself to snap at her. He’s so happy.
“I-I have so much to tell you, I can’t believe—” He starts, but his dad shakes his head.
“Come on, you can tell me everything. Let’s go out for lunch. That is, if Peggy doesn’t mind.”
“Of course not!” Sky’s mom laughs. “No, you should go and spend time with him.”
“Uh, I’m about to go on patrol…” Sky starts, torn between his desire to hang out with his dad and his duty, but Kat shakes her head.
“It’s fine, I’ll tell Jack to swap with you.” She laughs. “Go.”
There’s a hand on his arm and he’s about to be led out the door, but the alarm goes off.
“Gah! Always the worst time!” Kat snaps, and Sky’s dad gives that familiar easy smile.
“Glad to see things haven’t changed too much.” He chuckles. “Come on, you should get out there. Show me what you can do.”
“Actually, I don’t think you’re just going to be sitting on the sidelines.” Kat chuckles, holding up a white morpher. “Unless the legendary Red Ranger’s too old for this now, that is.”
Sky’s dad laughs. Really laughs.
Sky can see that familiar pained look on his mom’s face, like she’s about to say something, but she’s cut off by his dad taking the Morpher.
“Always prepared, huh?”
He slips it onto his wrist, stepping forward confidently.
“Let’s see if you can keep up.”
He’s out the door in a second, and Sky’s barely a step behind him.
Everyone else is already out there, and Bridge is the one who recognizes him first.
“…What…?” He gasps, and he pulls his glove off. “His aura, it’s like Sky’s!”
Jack freezes, clearly noticing the family resemblance.
“Is that… your dad?” He asks, and Sky nods.
“Apparently he was trapped in Mirloc’s mirrors too, he just got stuck in an off-world hospital.”
“Wow, I guess nothing can kill the legendary Red Ranger.” Syd purrs.
“This is awesome and I’m actually really happy for you, but can you help us and introduce us to your dad later?!” Z snaps, and Sky immediately remembers to grab his Morpher and immediately feels himself get cloaked in blue.
There are eyes on his skin, and he can feel them even from a distance.
Can’t focus on that now. He needs to dive in and fight, and he does just that with his nightstick.
A harsh slam right to the leg, and the alien’s off-balance.
Jack uses Sky’s shoulder as a step and shoots the alien in the face, causing him to go reeling back.
Jack dives behind the alien, and then there’s… something.
A grenade of some kind.
Sky puts up a force field, but it’s not enough. It throws him back and out of his suit. He’s only got a couple of scrapes, but his vision is completely dark.
His ears are ringing, and suddenly there’s the sound of rapidly approaching footsteps and there’s spandex-covered fingers on his face.
“…Dad?” He mutters on pure instinct, and the chuckle that results is familiar in a different way and makes his heart skip a beat.
“Wrong Red, Sky.” Jack’s voice rings out, through the buzzing in his ears. Heavy and dark, like a warm cup of coffee.
“…I can’t open my eyes.” He finally says, and Jack’s hands get tighter on his shoulder.
“Sky, they’re open.” He breathes, and Sky shifts his head toward where he thinks Jack is.
“They are?” He starts. “I can’t see.”
There’s a thumb near his eye, and Jack hisses.
“You’re not fucking with me, right? It looks like you’re looking right at me.”
“I’m not, I can’t see you. It’s all black.”
“You’re sure you’re not just being racist or something?”
Sky tries to swat at his shoulder, but he feels air and misses completely.
“…Okay, I believe you. Hey! Uh— Fuck, what’s your dad’s rank?”
“Detective.” Sky starts, and Jack’s voice gets louder.
“Detective! Sky’s fucked up over here!”
“I’ll be over in a second!” Sky’s dad’s voice rings out.
Then there’s the familiar sounds of a V1 humming to life, and Sky can hear the alien being blasted through a wall.
He can hear someone flipping open their Morpher and judging him, but he can’t make out who it is over the ringing in his ears.
And then there’s other hands around him. More familiar than Jack’s.
“What happened?” His dad breathes, and Sky shifts toward him.
“The flashbang, it screwed me up. I can’t see. Damn it, I’m such an idiot.”
“You’re not an idiot, Sky.” Jack starts, helping him up. “I’m gonna take you to the jeep, okay?”
He’s being moved, and his heart suddenly stops.
He knows it’s just Jack, but still, he can’t see shit and he doesn’t know where he’s being led.
He pulls out of Jack’s grip, and Jack sighs.
“Still can’t trust me, can you?” He asks, and Sky chuckles awkwardly.
“It’s still me, Jack.”
Especially after the meteor incident, after he bared his soul… and Jack just thought it was casual fun.
But then there’s another hand on his, and there’s a voice that gets Sky to lower all his guards.
“You’re gonna be fine.” Sky’s dad says, pulling him toward the jeep. “It’s all gonna be fine.”
And they’re back at the base in a few minutes.
He’s gently led to the infirmary, clutching onto his dad’s hand like a lifeline.
“You’re alright, Schuyler.” He whispers, and Sky finds himself not hating being called that when it comes from his dad.
There are doctors running around. He can hear them, and he can hear Kat’s familiar hiss.
Apparently there’s a light being shined in his eyes, but Kat sees his lack of reaction and hisses again.
“You’re not even flinching at that. Whatever that was wasn’t a normal grenade, it blinded you.”
“How long will it last?” Sky asks, and Kat falls silent for a second.
“…I don’t know. I might be able to treat it, I just need to know what kind of weapon caused it.”
“Some kind of stun grenade. Like a flashbang, but deadlier.” Sky starts, and he can hear a pencil on a piece of paper and the clang of metal against metal.
“I brought the remains with me.” Jack says, and he can hear metal being fiddled with.
“It’s Xybrian.” She says. “When used against someone with psychic powers, it temporarily restricts them. I guess it blinds earthlings.”
Sky can hear Bridge shrinking into himself.
“I should have taken the hit.” He mutters, and Sky shakes his head.
“You’re still human, Bridge. You’d be worse off than me.”
“Yeah, but at least I’d get my powers back eventually…”
“We don’t know that.” Sky responds. “Kat, can you treat it or not?”
“I believe so, but you’re not going to be able to see properly for a bit. I want you in bed as soon as I’m done, okay?”
Sky hopes the eye roll is coming out externally, and Kat huffs.
“I’m going to get this prepped. You all can stay with him, but—”
“Actually, do you mind if I have a moment alone with my son?” Sky’s dad cuts her off, and Jack chuckles.
“Okay, okay. Not gonna keep your baby boy away from ya. Let’s head back to the suite, guys.”
Everyone walks away, and suddenly that hand is out of his.
He feels the weird urge to chase it, but he keeps his hand down. He’s not a child anymore, he shouldn’t be clinging onto his dad like that.
“You’re a Ranger, huh?” He asks, and Sky can’t help the bit of pride he feels.
He guesses Jack is right. Heroes do come in all colors.
“Yeah. Guess giving me Auntie Ash’s name made me grow up like her.”
The air shifts.
“You still talk to her, huh?” He asks, and Sky shrugs.
“She’s still my aunt.”
A lot of memories flow through his head, of his mother, of Ash being dragged away from him at his father’s funeral.
“…Things happened.” Sky just says. He doesn’t want to affect things, tell his dad about what happened between his wife and his sister. “But we’re still close.”
“…You look like me, and you’re just like her.” He says. “Maybe I shouldn’t have named you after her.”
“What?” Sky asks, and his father lets out this strange, huff. “…You said she was one of the most important people in your life.”
He can hear the rustling of fabric, and hot breath is on his face.
“Oh, she was, but you must admit… she’s not your mother. She’s second-best. I just expected a little more from my son. …Not that there’s anything wrong with mediocrity. A woman like her still has her uses. I’m sure you will too.”
Sky’s going to throw up.
Kat steps back in, and his dad steps back and he can see that classic smile, despite everything being dark. The vision of it is burned into his memory.
“He’s scared, you know?” His dad says easily.
Kat shakes her head.
“He’s only a kid.” She says, her voice thick with affection. “I bet you’d be terrified if you were in his place.”
His dad lets out a chuckle and steps out, and suddenly there’s drops in his eyes and color starts to return to the world.
Kat’s ears are pricked up, and Sky sighs with relief.
His chest is tight, and his vision is still swimming, but he can see enough to get by now.
He pulls himself out of the bed and starts walking out the door, but Kat stops him.
“Let me walk you to your room.” She says, and Sky shakes his head. “Oh, want Schuyler to do it?”
Sky shakes his head even harder. He can’t bring himself to face him right now.
Kat sighs.
“Okay, okay. I get it. You’re a big kid now, but this isn’t about you being a baby. I’d do this for your dad or Ash too.”
“I really don’t need help, Kat.” He says, trying to keep his voice as even as possible before speedwalking away.
“There you are!” Another voice starts, and Sky spins on his heel.
“Mom, I’m supposed to be on bedrest.” He tries, but he’s suddenly crushed in a hug and his entire body tenses up.
“You’re alright.” She sighs. “I just needed to make sure both of you were alright. Schuyler told me what happened.”
“…He told you, huh?” Sky chuckles, pulling out of her grip. “Guess you were right all along. I’m a failure.”
His mom’s eyes widen, and she looks at him with this strange, guarded look in her eyes.
He doesn’t care. He’s already walking away.
He can’t breathe. He can’t breathe.
This is a nightmare, right? This is a terrible, terrible nightmare.
But… it’s all too real. An acrid taste climbs up the back of his throat.
He doesn’t know how he ended up here, but he’s suddenly in his room again and the door’s locked and he’s pounding his fists against it.
Those words ring in his head over and over again.
He… expected more. He expected his little ranger to grow up to be the Red Ranger, just like him.
He’s shaking.
Oh, god.
His eyes are getting so blurry that he forgets what clear vision looks like.
He shuts and reopens his eyes, but it does nothing to improve the situation. If anything, it gets worse.
And there’s suddenly hot tears running down his face.
He’s… crying?
He’s crying?!
He doesn’t cry, he’s an adult, he’s a ranger, he’s not that little boy who wanted his father more than anything—
But Kat’s voice rings in his head. Still daddy’s little ranger, huh?
He never really grew up, did he?
He’s still that scared little boy who’s clutching onto his dad’s helmet and thinking that if he closed his eyes and wished hard enough, the helmet would turn back into his dad and he’d hug him and tell him he loved him more than anything.
That he’d walk through the door, and call for Sky. Call for his little ranger.
And now his dad is back, and all his worst fears have come true. He’s nothing but a disappointment.
He’s not his little ranger anymore. He’s everything he’s feared. A disappointment to his father’s name, a failure as a son—
And then he’s crashing back into bed, blindly reaching for his father’s helmet.
Some silly, childish part of his mind hopes that his dad will walk in and hold him. Tell him it’s alright, that he still loves him. But he knows it’s not true.
~
“So, you’re the famous Schuyler Tate, huh?” Jack starts, walking over to him. “Earth’s first S.P.D. Red.”
“The one and only.” Schuyler laughs. “So, you're the new Red.”
Jack chuckles and smiles back.
“That’s me. Don’t know what I’d do without your son, though. He’s the best Blue I could ask for.”
Sky’s dad seems to freeze up a little at the mention of Sky. Huh, that’s weird. From what Jack knows, Sky’s dad was a great dad. Everyone says it, from Kat to Ash to Sky himself.
And Sky tends to turn into a little puppy when around Ash, even if he tries to hide it, so what’s going on right now? Shouldn’t he be trailing behind his dad and catching him up on everything that’s happened over the past twelve years?
Especially because Jamie, Addi, and Sage are here. They saw the news and practically busted in through the door.
“Mhm!” Addi finally says, snapping Jack out of his head. “He’s like his auntie. And like his dad.”
“Bet you’re proud.” Jamie chuckles. “Your little ranger’s all grown up.”
Schuyler smiles, but it doesn’t reach his eyes.
“Really is like his auntie, huh?” He says, and Sage nods gently and signs something, but Sky’s dad seems not to notice and just continues to talk to Jamie and Addi.
“Speaking of Ash, where is she?” Jack asks, and Sage seems to relax slightly.
Jamie and Addi share a glance, and they both seem to realize that that’s off.
“…Wait, she isn't here?” Addi asks. “I thought she would have come here straight away when you called her.”
“I couldn’t get a hold of her.” Schuyler says easily, and Jamie puts a finger to his chin.
“…Oh. Right. She’s on shift right now. Probably too busy to keep up with the news or answer her phone.”
“We’ll call her later then! She’s going to flip out!” Addi chuckles.
…Wait, but that doesn’t add up.
There hasn’t been anything on the police scanner. Sky would have run out the door by now if it was busy enough for her to not be able to pick up her phone, even if he’s supposed to be on bedrest.
Jack’s about to say something, but then Bridge pokes his shoulder and he turns back.
“Can I sleep in your room tonight?” He asks.
“What’s up with your room?” Jack responds, and Bridge shrugs.
“Sky locked the door and if I try to get in his aura starts to stab me really hard. I can’t even get my pillow or fidget toys.”
Jack sighs.
“Hang on, I’ll get your stuff.”
He walks away from the crowd that’s starting to gather around Sky’s dad and phases through the wall into Sky and Bridge’s room, and he crosses his arms.
“Sky, you can’t just lock Bridge out of the ro— What the hell, are you crying?!”
“…No.” Sky responds, clearly crying.
…Well, Jack has absolutely zero idea how to respond to this.
That alien must have fucked him up more than he thought.
“Uh… there, there, buddy.” He tries, patting Sky on the back, and Sky slaps his hand away.
“I’m not a fucking child, don’t patronize me.” He snaps, but his voice is shaking.
Jack just sighs and sits on Bridge’s bed.
“Okay then. Going blind for a bit, it probably scared you, right? You didn’t think you’d ever be a ranger again and now you’re—”
“Is that what you think this is about?” Sky asks, and Jack stops.
“It’s not?”
“Not that it’s any of your business, but no. I’m the son of a Red Ranger, I’ve been through worse.”
Sky freezes for a second, like he’s thinking about something, and then he looks away again.
…Gah.
“Fine. But what do you want me to do?” Jack tries, and Sky just glares at him.
“I want you to get the hell out of my room. You’re not supposed to be in here without permission.”
“I have permission. Bridge asked me to grab his stuff so he could sleep in my room tonight because you locked him out and your aura is stabbing him, whatever that means. What the hell happened? You’re not really the crying type, you bullied Syd for crying at that sad movie for a week straight.”
Sky just pulls his pillow close to his chest.
“…It’s nothing. I’ve just been right my entire life, I’m a disappointment to my family—”
“Okay, come on, don’t let your insecurities get the better of you. It’s fine that you’re Blue, remember? Heroes come in all colors, and anyway, your dad’s most trusted friend is his Blue Ranger. He literally named you after her, didn’t he? Your middle name is Lynn or something?”
Sky chuckles.
“…Yeah. Angelica-Lynn was going to be my name if I was a girl, after my mom and dad’s sisters. Though, they only told Ash about Angie, they wanted it to be a surprise. When I was born, they thought it was pretty long for a middle name and were going to just do Angie, but Mom said she had a dream where her sister came down and told her that it was a great sentiment, but she should make my middle name Lynn. Because she loved Ash so much, and she helped every step of the way whenever she could in her stead.”
…That story’s so sweet, but…
“Don’t you dare laugh.” Sky snaps, and Jack looks away.
“I’m sorry, it’s just… Angelica-Lynn Tate is a stupider name than Schuyler Tate Jr. That sounds like one of Syd’s rich bitch friends.”
Sky throws the pillow at his head, and Jack can’t hold back his laughter.
“I swear to god, you’re dead!” Sky snaps, tackling Jack down onto Bridge’s bed, and Jack just keeps laughing.
“Hey, don’t kill me! Remember, you’re supposed to be my loyal Blue Ranger!”
“Oh, but if I kill you, then I get to be Red!” Sky snaps back, and it’s clear that he meant it as a joke, but then he suddenly freezes up.
Ah, shit.
He listlessly lets go of Jack’s collar and stumbles back to his bed, collapsing, and Jack gently scoops up the pillow and puts it on his bed.
“Want me to stay?” Jack starts, and Sky just looks at him with the saddest eyes.
And then his eyes drift over the red on his shoulders, and Jack scoops up Bridge’s pillow, blanket, and a couple of his fidget toys, but Sky stops him.
“Not that one, he was using it last night, if he uses them for two nights in a row he goes a little crazy.” He mutters, tossing another one at Jack before collapsing back onto his bed, facing the wall.
“…Call me if you need anything, huh?” Jack tries, but Sky doesn’t respond.
And when Jack walks out of the room, Sky’s dad is there, charming a group of cadets with an easy smile and tales of old exploits.
And Jack just phases through the crowd and pulls him aside.
“Hey, maybe you should go talk to Sky.” He whispers. “He… thinks he’s not good enough to be your son. That you’re disappointed in him.”
And Sky’s dad gets that same weird look in his eye.
“…I told him, there’s nothing wrong with mediocrity. But I did expect a lot more from my son.”
“Mediocrity?!” Jack snaps. “Go to hell! Sky’s the best Blue Ranger I could ask for! What the hell happened to a Red needing their Blue?! Sky idolizes you, how the fuck could you say that to him?! He’s sobbing his eyes out in his room because of you!”
Sky’s dad just sighs and walks off.
“I see S.P.D. really has gone downhill since I was captured. And I guess I never really taught Schuyler about how to be a man.”
Jack’s about to deck him, but Dr. Wilson walks over and grabs his arm.
“What are you doing?!” She gasps, and Jack just phases through her hand and spins on his heel.
“You two really deserve each other!” He snaps, walking into his room and laying Bridge’s stuff out on the spare bed.
~
It’s just a normal day for Ash.
Honestly, this shift is pretty boring. It’s almost over, and nothing has happened. It’s a good thing, sure, but it’s so slow it’s almost painful.
And when her phone lights up, she doesn’t even waste a second in picking it up.
“Hey, how’s my favorite nephew?” She laughs, and Sky doesn’t even respond. “…Huh? Sky? Are you there?”
She’s about to hang up because she thinks it was an accidental dial, but then she hears heavy breathing and she knows something’s wrong.
“Hey, what’s up? Where are you? Are you hurt?” She starts, already grabbing her keys, and Sky lets out this heartbreaking cry. “I can’t help if you don’t tell me what’s wrong, Sky.”
Sky lets out a choked sob.
“…Dad…”
That’s like a knife through Ash’s heart. Oh, of course…
“Miss your dad, huh?” She sighs. “I miss him too. Every day.”
“…What?” Sky starts, and Ash raises an eyebrow.
“What’s up?”
“He… didn’t call you?”
“What? Who didn’t call me?”
“Dad. He’s alive. He was trapped in Mirloc’s mirrors all those years.”
Ash’s heart is about to beat out of her chest.
“You’re kidding. Schuyler can’t be alive, I…”
“He’s… he’s standing right outside. I can hear him from here.”
Ash sucks in a breath.
Her entire body seems to relax for the first time in over a decade.
Schuyler… wasn’t dead.
He was alive. He was home. With his son.
And for a split-second, the world suddenly makes sense again.
…Wait.
“But… why are you crying then? Shouldn’t you be happy?”
Sky lets out another cry.
“He… he told me he was disappointed in me. That he expected more from me than being the Blue Ranger.”
And then the most heartbreaking sob Ash has ever heard escapes from Sky’s end of the line.
“I’m not his little ranger anymore, Auntie Ash…”
“…Hang on, what? He’s disappointed in you? What the hell?”
Sky just sniffles, and Ash throws her old S.P.D. jacket on and slips down the pole.
“Look, just hang on. I’m on my way, where are you?”
Sky sniffles again.
“…I’m at the base.”
“Okay. Hang on.”
She hops in her car and speeds through the streets, launching into the base as fast as she can after flashing her badge at the receptionist and running around until she sees that damned smile.
And she knocks it off his face with the best right hook she has.
“Asshole!” She snaps. “What did you say to Sky?! And what the hell are you doing not telling me you’re alive?!”
She suddenly feels arms around her, and Sage is gently pulling her away from Schuyler and giving her a confused look.
“You… didn’t tell Ash?” Peggy chimes in. “And what is she saying about Sky?”
“…You don’t know?” Ash starts, and Peggy looks at her confusedly.
“Know what? Is Sky alright?”
Ash just shoves Schuyler and walks over to Sky’s room, gently knocking on the door.
“Sky, it’s me.” She starts, and the door unlocks and Ash slips in.
And when she sees how soaked his face is, she shakes her head.
“I haven’t seen you cry this much since I woke up in the infirmary with you and your dad waiting for me.” She starts, and Sky just buries his face deeper into his pillow.
“…You didn’t have to come. I shouldn’t have called you, I’m acting like a child.”
Ash sighs and sits on Sky’s bed, gently putting a hand on his head.
“You know, he made me promise that if he ever made you upset, that I’d beat the shit out of him. He wanted to be the best father ever, and he loved you more than anything. He didn’t care what you were, he just wanted you to be happy. He said that no matter how bad of a day he was having, his little ranger’s smile made everything better.”
Ash starts patting his head lightly, but it’s not doing much to help him.
“Then why…?” Sky chokes out. “He… he told me he expected more of his son… and I don’t know what he was talking about, but he insulted you. Said you were second-best and that he regretted naming me after you because I ended up too much like you.”
Ash’s hand freezes.
…What?
That… that doesn’t make any sense.
She still remembers his words clear as day.
“If he could be a Ranger just like you are, strong, proud, and making sure his team doesn’t fall apart, I couldn’t be happier.”
Something isn’t adding up here. It hasn’t been adding up since Ash got that call.
Why didn’t Schuyler call her the moment he got access to a phone?
“I don’t know what’s wrong with him.” She finally says. “But hey, I’m fulfilling our pact. I decked the shit out of him.”
Sky chuckles slightly, and Ash smiles.
“Wanna come out so you can watch me yell at him more?”
“God, no. Z’s going to make fun of me for the rest of my life if she sees me like this.”
“Yeah, but if you come out you get to watch Addi try to strangle your dad.”
Sky looks up slightly, eyes still watering, but the mental image seems to intrigue him enough that he’s willing to get out of bed and walk out the door with Ash.
The sight of his face makes Addi gasp instantly, rushing over to him, and Peggy, Jamie, and Sage are barely a step behind.
“Is this what you meant?” Peggy whispers, and Ash nods.
“Yeah, that bastard over there made my sweet baby nephew cry.” She starts, before turning to Schuyler. “Why don’t you tell her what you said to him? That you expected more of him? That being Blue is mediocre? That I’m mediocre?!”
“Oh, we all know about that?” Jack chimes in. “Can I deck him now?”
”Take a number, Jack.” Ash responds.
Peggy flinches slightly.
“You said what?” She gasps, and Addi rushes ahead and leaps on Schuyler’s back.
“You insulted my baby?!” She starts, and Schuyler shoves her off and glares at her coldly.
And that makes Ash and Peggy freeze.
Schuyler… hurting someone? Hurting Addi?
He’s spent his whole life believing that violence should only be a last resort, and even then he holds back. He felt guilty for beating the crap out of his father, despite everything he’d done.
And that’s the last straw. She knows what’s really happening now.
She doesn’t want to believe it, but…
But it’s the only option.
Her chest tightens.
And she turns to Peggy, who looks at her with wide eyes.
“That’s…” Peggy starts. “That’s not my husband.”
And with the confirmation that she’s thinking the same thing, she snatches the blaster off her hip and holds it up.
“Who the hell are you?” She snaps, and… whoever that is rolls his eyes. That’s sure as hell not Schuyler.
“Come on, Ashlynn. It’s over between us.” He starts, and Sky flinches.
“What…?”
And Ash just shrugs. Trying to hide how much she wants to break down crying. She has to be strong. For her team, and especially for Sky.
“Okay, then. It’s over between us. How did it start?” She asks.
The man freezes, and Ash puts a hand on her hip.
“How did we meet? Better yet, how did we move in together?”
“Come on—”
“No, I want to know.” Peggy asks. “How did you move in together? That’s an easy answer, and only three people in the galaxy know that story. Me, Ash, and Schuyler. If you’re really my husband, you should be able to tell me that story.”
“This doesn’t matter.”
And Addi silently pulls herself up.
“You’re a fake.” Ash says. “I know it.”
“Scan me all you want! I’m—”
And he’s cut off by Addi putting him in a headlock. Cutting off airflow.
He’s on the ground in a matter of seconds, and then Addi releases his neck.
Peggy’s already flipped open her tricorder, scanning him up and down.
“To the cellular level, he’s Schuyler.” She says. “What I don’t understand is how.”
“Whoever he is, he was doing some really advanced genetic engineering.” Jamie cuts in.
Peggy nods.
“Whoever did this… they’d require a significant amount of genetics knowledge. As much as my own.” She says. “I’m not even sure where to start reversing it.
“Hey, come on. You’re the preeminent genetics researcher in Newtech City.” Ash says.
Peggy bites her lip, and then Jack looks up.
“What, you can’t figure it out?”
“I didn’t say that.” Peggy responds.
“I mean, it’s okay if you can’t.” Jack says, and Peggy’s eye starts to twitch.
Hah. He’s found her weak spot.
“I’ll show you.” She hisses, dragging the guy to Kat’s lab, and Ash follows after her.
~
“This should be it.” Sky’s mom whispers, and Sky just… doesn’t react.
Knowing this guy’s a fake should help, but if anything, it just makes Sky feel more hollow.
Ash grabs his hand, gently squeezing it, and there’s another hand ruffling his hair.
There’s a gentle pair of eyes staring at him. Telling him it’s okay.
“Thanks.” He says, and Sage nods at him.
Jamie’s helping Sky’s mom and Kat with the formula, but his eyes keep flicking back to Sky. And Addi’s pacing around the room, tightly gripping her blaster.
And all of this is fine, except for the way Jack seems to be staring into his soul.
This is what he didn’t want to happen. That’s why he locked Bridge out of the room to cry in peace.
He hasn’t cried this hard since he was a child. Since he heard his dad wasn’t coming home the first time.
And now he can’t breathe.
He thought he’d finally had it all, and then it was ripped away from him again.
And his mom injects whatever she was working on into the man lying on the biobed.
And his face starts to shift. It goes from that familiar face that Sky had longed to see to a man he doesn’t recognize.
Vibrant blond darkens to brown. That familiar smile drops away. He even seems to shrink slightly.
And then his eyes open. Blue gives way to green.
And Sky’s mom slams the hypospray on the table.
“Fuck you, Kristopher.” She says, immediately.
“You know this guy, Dr. Wilson?” Jack asks, and Sky’s mom nods.
“He was a friend of mine back when I was in college. We were both in the genetics department, and we both were aiming for PhDs.”
“Peggy, listen to me—” Kristopher pleads, and Sky’s mom steps back.
“Listen to you? Listen to you?! You pretended to be my husband back from the dead! And if that wasn’t bad enough, you made my son cry harder than he did the day his father died! What the hell could possibly be a good enough reason to do that?!”
“Love!” He gasps. “I did it all for love!”
“Love?” Addi asks.
“Yes, love! I did it all for you, Peggy! You are the most brilliant, beautiful woman I have ever seen, and you married a man who barely graduated high school! He could never be your intellectual equal!”
“Oh, and I suppose you’re so much better?!” Sky’s mom screeches. “Look what you did to my son!”
And he just looks over at Sky with such… disdain.
“He’s as worthless as his father.” He finally says, and Sky’s mom begins to crackle with a force field.
“You…” She spits. “You’re disgusting. Even if I were to remarry, I would never be with someone who disrespected my husband’s memory and treated my son like this.”
“What do you care? He doesn’t treat you well either!” Kristopher snaps, and something seems to break in Sky’s mom.
“You don’t know what it’s like to have a child. It brings out something… animalistic in you. You know from the moment you hold him that you’d die for him. That you’d kill for him.”
And then she leans in close, letting out a soft growl.
“I love my son more than anything in this world.” She whispers. “Never forget that.”
And then she spins on her heel and walks off, and Jack's eyes are finally off him as he turns to follow her.
~
“Hey.” Jack says, and Dr. Wilson turns around.
“What do you want?” She asks, and Jack crosses his arms.
“Why do you treat Sky like that?” He finally says. “If you love him so much, then—”
“You misunderstand me, Jack. It’s because I love him so much that I’m so hard on him.”
“What?”
And Dr. Wilson runs a hand through her hair, in that same way that Sky does when he’s trying to figure out how to put words together.
“That boy is a carbon copy of his father.” She says. “And I loved his father. His strong sense of justice and his willingness to put his life on the line for anyone are what drew me to him in the first place, and Schuyler doesn’t just have his name. He has his heart.”
“So…”
“So I don’t want him to end up like his father.” She breathes. “I don’t want matching red and blue helmets on my mantle.”
And then she turns away.
“It’s hard enough to walk into that house knowing my husband won’t be there. I won’t be able to go on if my son dies too.”
And Jack just sighs.
“You know, you’re never going to be able to change him. Sky lives for being a ranger.”
And Dr. Wilson turns back to him, a single tear running down her face.
“I know.” She admits. “But I’ll never stop trying.”
And Jack says something before he can think.
“I can’t promise that he’ll still be around, but I can promise that I’ll do everything in my power to keep him alive. To bring him home.”
He flashes her a smile, and she covers her eyes.
“I wish I could believe you.” She says. “But you sound like Ash.”
And Jack looks away.
“…You guys were close, right? Before Sky’s dad…”
“Oh, as close as two people could be. She was like another sister to me. And she said the same things you did— but one day, it wasn’t enough. And she let him die.”
“You blame her.” Jack says, and Dr. Wilson nods.
“I know it’s wrong, but I can’t help it. I hate that she came home and he didn’t.”
“But why’d you have to punish Sky for that?” He finally asks. “He needed her.”
And that was clearly the wrong thing to say, because Dr. Wilson’s eye starts twitching.
“Of course. He needed her. What he needed was his father, and she let him die.”
Jack just sighs and throws his hands up in surrender.
“You know, I think Sky got how goddamn stubborn he is from you.”
And Dr. Wilson puts a hand on her hip.
“You’re right. He’s not completely like his father.” She breathes. “He’ll fall for the Red Ranger with the charming smile.”
“What?” Jack asks, and Dr. Wilson shrugs.
“I’ll just tell you this: I despised my husband when we first met.”
And then she walks away, almost as if she was never there.
“What the fuck was that about?” Jack mutters to himself.
But he’s suddenly distracted by a hand on his shoulder and Jack spins on his heel.
“…Can we talk?” Sky asks, and Jack nods.
“Thought you might want to.”
Sky just… leans back onto the wall, and Jack still can’t believe what he’s seeing.
Even when up against Mirloc, the most he let out was one tear.
But now…
“This one…” Jack mutters. “This one hurt, huh?”
Sky shakes his head.
“You have no fucking idea.”
“…I never knew my parents, so you’re right. I don’t.”
Sky just looks down.
“He’s everything I always aspired to be. A legend among men. He’s…”
“A human being, Sky.” Jack cuts in. “He was a man, just like you and me.”
And Sky… freezes.
“You saw how that guy was acting. It tipped Ash off instantly.” Jack adds. “Everyone sees people differently. He saw your dad as a playboy who didn’t give a shit about anyone’s feelings. You see him as a legend who’s everything you aspire to be. But how do you think he saw himself?”
Sky’s lip quivers slightly, and he looks away. Shit, right, he’s in a vulnerable state right now. Probably shouldn’t have—
“He used to make jokes about it.” Sky cuts through his thoughts. “Nothing about him was legendary except his hair. All my life, I heard about the S.P.D. Legend, but… now I remember that he hated being called that.”
Jack takes a breath.
“…How’d you see him back then? When you were just a kid?”
Sky’s eyes are a million miles away.
“…As my hero.” Sky says simply. “My favorite person in the world. The guy that would tell me stories and take me out for ice cream, and who always got the bad guy. Not something so distant as a legend. He was always… real.”
Jack stays silent, and Sky puts his head back in his hands.
“I thought nothing could take him down.” Sky breathes. “Some part of me still believes that. It’s why I was so ready to accept that it was real. That he was real.”
And Sky collapses into Jack’s shoulder, in this easy way that makes his heart skip a beat.
“I think…” Jack mutters. “I think if he saw you now, he’d be proud of you.”
Sky chuckles bitterly. This pained, awkward sound that makes Jack’s chest tighten.
“Tell me why with every piece of evidence there is…” Sky mutters. “How with every single person that knew him telling me the same thing you just did… I still can’t believe it? Tell me why I hear his voice in my head, even knowing it wasn’t really him, repeating the same thing. Over and over again. I expected more from my son.”
“He adored Ash.” Jack tries, but Sky just lets out that terrible sound again.
“She was a much better Blue Ranger than I am. The team would follow her to the ends of the earth without a second thought. She’s everything a Blue Ranger should be. I’m… abrasive. Rude. No one would willingly put up with me.”
And Jack doesn’t know what just came over him, but he reaches out and threads his fingers with Sky’s.
And his mouth moves before his brain does.
“I would.” He breathes, and Sky doesn’t respond.
It’s weird. It’s like they’re in their own little bubble, away from the world.
“Jack!” Z’s voice rings out.
“Sky, you there?!” Ash’s voice joins in, and they immediately scramble apart. Like they’re about to be caught doing something they shouldn’t be.
Z appears first, her eyes searching between them.
“He’s under arrest.” She mutters. “Identity theft and entering the academy under false pretenses.”
“Right.” Sky mutters. “Thank you.”
And she softens slightly.
“Are you okay?” She asks, and Sky averts his eyes slightly.
“…No.” He breathes, before his eyes flick to Jack for a split-second. “But I will be.”