Fanfic: "Aftermath", Gen
Here's the promised Z interlude, which I've been sitting on for a while. This is probably the last fic I'll post in the SB continuum for a while; I still need to write out the bunnies "Idol" and "Missing" gave me, and plot out SB's sequel more.
Title: Aftermath
Author: Mary (shurimon and shurifanstuffs on Livejournal)
Fandom: Power Rangers SPD
Rating: PG-ish
Warnings/Indications: Unbeta'd.
Disclaimer: I don't own the characters and make no claim to.
Summary: One-shot Jack & Z hurt/comfort. Z deals with the aftermath of the Rangers' encounter with the alien assassins' master.
Notes: This fic will make no sense unless you've read all of Soul's Bonds. This is first-person from Z's point of view and takes place during Chapter 26, after Sky falls asleep.
Aftermath
The door to Bridge and Sky's room was open when I approached it, tiptoeing inside. Sky was fast asleep, snuffling a little, and Bridge lay curled against him, shivering violently every minute or so. I was surprised to find Jack there, too, sitting near their bedside and playing a game on his cell phone.
"Hey, Jack! What're you doing here?" I asked him in a whisper, throwing my arms around him.
"Staying with these guys," he replied as I pulled up another chair next to him. "All the others are otherwise occupied, so I decided to sit with them in case they needed anything. How're you feeling?"
"Drained," I said. "Beaten, bruised, sore, exhausted, confused, mindfucked. Every possible way I could be tired, I am. We think Cruger's going to be fine, by the way; he's still comatose, but he's stable, at least, so Isinia told us to head home and get some rest. Piggy went out to find a snack and Tessie and Boom went to bed, but I couldn't fall asleep, myself. Syd's still unconscious in the infirmary, too, so I decided to come and check on Bridge and Sky."
"Good to hear about Cruger. Not much to see here, unfortunately," Jack said. "Dr. Felix fed Sky a bunch of medicine to sedate him after he started going into shock, plus some to kill the pain in his legs, so he'll be out til the morning at the very earliest. I've tried talking to Bridge, but I don't think he even knows we're here."
"Poor guy..." I reached over and touched one of Bridge's still-bare hands, recoiling a little as I was gripped by a wave of intense fear, which subsided when I broke contact. "Ouch. He's really spooked about something... I don't know what it is he saw, but it must've been horrible."
"Mmmhmm. I would've brought him another pair of gloves if I'd have known he'd need them... and it's too late at night to go get some now. But enough about the others... you know, you really should think about yourself now, Z," Jack told me. "Not to dimish our friends, of course, but they're not the only ones who had a bad night."
"I'm fine," I said, shrugging, though it was a lie. The night's events were still fresh in my mind, but this was the first time since everything had happened that I'd had room in my head to think about it all- before, I just wanted to get home, and then I was too occupied with making sure Commander Cruger was going to be OK.
"No, you're not fine," Jack said simply, and I slumped down a little in my chair, my eyes starting to water. "Even though we don't live together anymore, I still know you better than anybody here, little sister. Don't try to cover it up and use the tough-girl act around me. I know you're going to try and shove everything down and fuss over everybody else, but you need love for yourself, too. Let me help you. Dump it all out on me. It's why I came here, to support you guys... since you kindly didn't remember to call me the last time something like this happened." I didn't reply, just lay my head on his shoulder. "What exactly did happen, anyway?"
"Lots," I said, letting the tears fall. "...It was awful. Awful. Even worse than when Gruumm captured us. I almost died, big brother. Or worse."
"Shhh..." Jack soothed as I buried my face in his chest with a sob, and he gently ran his fingers through my hair. I didn't want to pile everything on him when the others were so much worse off than me, but I couldn't stop all of my feelings pouring out of me.
"They took Bridge's gloves off... m-made him touch the monster that kidnapped him... his eyes were rolling, he was so s-scared... he still is... Syd was under their c-control... and S-sky... he was trying so hard to be brave for us, even though h-he must've felt j-just as hopeless as the r-rest of us did... Cruger... C-cruger laying there in a pool of blood... and t-they were g-gonna kill Tessie b-because they couldn't infest her... and Orpheus... all the... all the h-horrible things he t-told us... I can't even... I can't... if the V-vulcans hadn't been here... I almost died, Jack... I was SO SCARED," I bawled. "I th-thought we were done for..."
"Shhh, shhh... let at all out..." Jack held me while I cried, the evening's events feeling like an open sore on my mind, fresh tears coming every time I thought about how close I'd come to losing everyone... and losing my own freedom... Eventually I lifted my head and looked up at him, and he gently kissed my forehead.
"I'm glad you're here, big brother," I sniffled, moving my head back to his shoulder.
"I'm glad you're still alive. I love you, li'l sis," he said, hugging me tightly, grabbing a tissue from Sky's nightstand and giving it to me. "More than life itself. ...I don't know how I would've gone on without you."
"I feel the same way..." We fell silent, watching Sky and Bridge sleep. Bridge's trembling gradually subsided, his uneven breath becoming slow and steady. He gave one feeble whimper before snuggling closer to Sky, opening his mouth and drooling a little. I couldn't help but smile through my tears.
"You love him," Jack said softly. I poked the end of his nose.
"As a friend. I love everybody here as a friend and nothing more," I said, and he glared accusingly at me. "OK. Maybe I've had a tiny bit of a crush on Bridge and would've jumped him and fucked his brains out long ago if some part of me hadn't always kinda known that he was gay. But you're one to talk, Jack... I know you feel the same way about Sky."
"That arrogant son-of-a-bitch is one of the best friends I've ever had," Jack sighed. "I love him in more ways than one, but of course, I can't exactly tell him that. He'd just pick a fight with me over it. Probably tack on reminders of how he's in love with Bridge, so I should piss off. We've heard it all before." Both of us jumped as Sky suddenly sat up with a gasp, looking around the room, then staring at the floor. I could tell by the look in his eyes that he was still asleep... either that, or too drugged up to realize what he was doing.
"Z... why're there purple crocodiles swimmin' inna floor?" he asked me in a slurred voice, scratching his head. "... Be careful, they'll bite. Bastards. They wann' take my Bridgey-kitten..."
"Go back to sleep, Sky," I said, trying to suppress a laugh. "Jack and I will make the crocodiles go away, OK?" Sky flopped back down with a small THUD.
"Knew I c'd coun' on you," he said, throwing his arms around Bridge, making an odd noise that almost sounded like a purr. "Allays c'd. Awww. Warmmmm soft kitty. I 'ave the most 'dorable boyfriend inna world. Hehehehe. Christ. I love you guys so much."
"We love you, too, Sky," Jack said, reaching over and patting his head. "Go back to sleep, alright, buddy?"
" 'kay." Sky's eyes shut and he let out a loud snore.
"Say nothing," Jack told me quickly.
"I wasn't going to." I shifted to make myself more comfortable and looked out the window. The stars had never seemed brighter.
Later on, Tessie would come in, tousle-haired and carrying Spider-Man, to join us. Boom would follow her, then Piggy, then Charlie, and I would fall asleep wrapped up in his warm blue jacket, finding myself holding hands with him, having suddenly understood why Bridge and Sky couldn't explain how they'd fallen in love.
But for right now... it was only us.
Me and my big brother.
Title: Aftermath
Author: Mary (shurimon and shurifanstuffs on Livejournal)
Fandom: Power Rangers SPD
Rating: PG-ish
Warnings/Indications: Unbeta'd.
Disclaimer: I don't own the characters and make no claim to.
Summary: One-shot Jack & Z hurt/comfort. Z deals with the aftermath of the Rangers' encounter with the alien assassins' master.
Notes: This fic will make no sense unless you've read all of Soul's Bonds. This is first-person from Z's point of view and takes place during Chapter 26, after Sky falls asleep.
Aftermath
The door to Bridge and Sky's room was open when I approached it, tiptoeing inside. Sky was fast asleep, snuffling a little, and Bridge lay curled against him, shivering violently every minute or so. I was surprised to find Jack there, too, sitting near their bedside and playing a game on his cell phone.
"Hey, Jack! What're you doing here?" I asked him in a whisper, throwing my arms around him.
"Staying with these guys," he replied as I pulled up another chair next to him. "All the others are otherwise occupied, so I decided to sit with them in case they needed anything. How're you feeling?"
"Drained," I said. "Beaten, bruised, sore, exhausted, confused, mindfucked. Every possible way I could be tired, I am. We think Cruger's going to be fine, by the way; he's still comatose, but he's stable, at least, so Isinia told us to head home and get some rest. Piggy went out to find a snack and Tessie and Boom went to bed, but I couldn't fall asleep, myself. Syd's still unconscious in the infirmary, too, so I decided to come and check on Bridge and Sky."
"Good to hear about Cruger. Not much to see here, unfortunately," Jack said. "Dr. Felix fed Sky a bunch of medicine to sedate him after he started going into shock, plus some to kill the pain in his legs, so he'll be out til the morning at the very earliest. I've tried talking to Bridge, but I don't think he even knows we're here."
"Poor guy..." I reached over and touched one of Bridge's still-bare hands, recoiling a little as I was gripped by a wave of intense fear, which subsided when I broke contact. "Ouch. He's really spooked about something... I don't know what it is he saw, but it must've been horrible."
"Mmmhmm. I would've brought him another pair of gloves if I'd have known he'd need them... and it's too late at night to go get some now. But enough about the others... you know, you really should think about yourself now, Z," Jack told me. "Not to dimish our friends, of course, but they're not the only ones who had a bad night."
"I'm fine," I said, shrugging, though it was a lie. The night's events were still fresh in my mind, but this was the first time since everything had happened that I'd had room in my head to think about it all- before, I just wanted to get home, and then I was too occupied with making sure Commander Cruger was going to be OK.
"No, you're not fine," Jack said simply, and I slumped down a little in my chair, my eyes starting to water. "Even though we don't live together anymore, I still know you better than anybody here, little sister. Don't try to cover it up and use the tough-girl act around me. I know you're going to try and shove everything down and fuss over everybody else, but you need love for yourself, too. Let me help you. Dump it all out on me. It's why I came here, to support you guys... since you kindly didn't remember to call me the last time something like this happened." I didn't reply, just lay my head on his shoulder. "What exactly did happen, anyway?"
"Lots," I said, letting the tears fall. "...It was awful. Awful. Even worse than when Gruumm captured us. I almost died, big brother. Or worse."
"Shhh..." Jack soothed as I buried my face in his chest with a sob, and he gently ran his fingers through my hair. I didn't want to pile everything on him when the others were so much worse off than me, but I couldn't stop all of my feelings pouring out of me.
"They took Bridge's gloves off... m-made him touch the monster that kidnapped him... his eyes were rolling, he was so s-scared... he still is... Syd was under their c-control... and S-sky... he was trying so hard to be brave for us, even though h-he must've felt j-just as hopeless as the r-rest of us did... Cruger... C-cruger laying there in a pool of blood... and t-they were g-gonna kill Tessie b-because they couldn't infest her... and Orpheus... all the... all the h-horrible things he t-told us... I can't even... I can't... if the V-vulcans hadn't been here... I almost died, Jack... I was SO SCARED," I bawled. "I th-thought we were done for..."
"Shhh, shhh... let at all out..." Jack held me while I cried, the evening's events feeling like an open sore on my mind, fresh tears coming every time I thought about how close I'd come to losing everyone... and losing my own freedom... Eventually I lifted my head and looked up at him, and he gently kissed my forehead.
"I'm glad you're here, big brother," I sniffled, moving my head back to his shoulder.
"I'm glad you're still alive. I love you, li'l sis," he said, hugging me tightly, grabbing a tissue from Sky's nightstand and giving it to me. "More than life itself. ...I don't know how I would've gone on without you."
"I feel the same way..." We fell silent, watching Sky and Bridge sleep. Bridge's trembling gradually subsided, his uneven breath becoming slow and steady. He gave one feeble whimper before snuggling closer to Sky, opening his mouth and drooling a little. I couldn't help but smile through my tears.
"You love him," Jack said softly. I poked the end of his nose.
"As a friend. I love everybody here as a friend and nothing more," I said, and he glared accusingly at me. "OK. Maybe I've had a tiny bit of a crush on Bridge and would've jumped him and fucked his brains out long ago if some part of me hadn't always kinda known that he was gay. But you're one to talk, Jack... I know you feel the same way about Sky."
"That arrogant son-of-a-bitch is one of the best friends I've ever had," Jack sighed. "I love him in more ways than one, but of course, I can't exactly tell him that. He'd just pick a fight with me over it. Probably tack on reminders of how he's in love with Bridge, so I should piss off. We've heard it all before." Both of us jumped as Sky suddenly sat up with a gasp, looking around the room, then staring at the floor. I could tell by the look in his eyes that he was still asleep... either that, or too drugged up to realize what he was doing.
"Z... why're there purple crocodiles swimmin' inna floor?" he asked me in a slurred voice, scratching his head. "... Be careful, they'll bite. Bastards. They wann' take my Bridgey-kitten..."
"Go back to sleep, Sky," I said, trying to suppress a laugh. "Jack and I will make the crocodiles go away, OK?" Sky flopped back down with a small THUD.
"Knew I c'd coun' on you," he said, throwing his arms around Bridge, making an odd noise that almost sounded like a purr. "Allays c'd. Awww. Warmmmm soft kitty. I 'ave the most 'dorable boyfriend inna world. Hehehehe. Christ. I love you guys so much."
"We love you, too, Sky," Jack said, reaching over and patting his head. "Go back to sleep, alright, buddy?"
" 'kay." Sky's eyes shut and he let out a loud snore.
"Say nothing," Jack told me quickly.
"I wasn't going to." I shifted to make myself more comfortable and looked out the window. The stars had never seemed brighter.
Later on, Tessie would come in, tousle-haired and carrying Spider-Man, to join us. Boom would follow her, then Piggy, then Charlie, and I would fall asleep wrapped up in his warm blue jacket, finding myself holding hands with him, having suddenly understood why Bridge and Sky couldn't explain how they'd fallen in love.
But for right now... it was only us.
Me and my big brother.