Disclaimer: Not mine. Wish they were. Actually, wish just Sky and Bridge were mine! LOL. Anyway, this is just a little friendship fic that I thought of this week while bored at work. It's strange what comes to you when people are abusing you about there phone bills being to high isn't it? LOL. Anyway, this is based during Robotpalooza and it focus's on Sky's thoughts about his friendship with Bridge, so it's a Sky POV. Please, read and review. Angel Mouse, September 2005.

This one's for you MzDany - because you've become a great friend and inspire me in so many different ways with your writing.


My Roommate and I

by Angel Mouse

When I first meet Bridge there was just something about him that just annoyed me so much. I don't know what it was. Honestly though I've known him over two and a half years now and the more I get to know him the more he frustrates me but the more I care about him. God, now I'm even starting to sound like him. Is that a bad thing? No, come to think of it, it's not. I shook my head and suppressed a grin as I lay on my bed, flipping through my SPD handbook while Bridge got some sleep. We'd already had a busy day, a couple of monster fights already and the day's only half over. The Commander's sent us to get some rest and we need it. As I lay on my bed, listening to him gently snore I thought back to how over the years I've gotten to know him.

Sometimes Bridge's perspective on things is a refreshing change. He has such an innocent and clear cut vision of the world and how it should be that sometimes I envy him. He sees pain and suffering and evil in clear black and white. Good and evil are two opposites for Bridge, there is no grey as most of us learn over time. Perhaps that's why he seems so young, so innocent all the time. He brings out in me what he fondly calls my big brother complex. He makes me want to protect him all the time, even though I know he can take care of himself. When I first met him I wondered what the hell I had gotten myself into with agreeing to have a room mate and having one from my squad. I guess at the time it was because I was missing Dru as he'd left for the Nebula Academy just the week before. So, when I was asked to take in a room mate, I accepted. And that's when I first meet Bridge, when he walked into my room with a smile and a bag on his shoulder. He was so open and friendly, my complete opposite in fact. He took me at face value, accepting me for who I am, and what I wanted to be. He was always supportive of me even if I did dismiss him and his powers at first. But all that changed one fateful day.

We were about six months into our training and had just passed our major exams. Syd had come up with this idea of having a big day out to celebrate us passing. I can remember that neither of us was really fond of that idea, but we went because Syd wanted us to go. She has that affect on us, on everyone really. She's so full of life that she got under my skin and I found out that I really look forward to spending time with her, with them both really. But back to this day.

We'd been given the day off and we had gone and had lunch in the park. Syd was full of life and bubbly like she normally was and Bridge had actually been strangely quiet. He had joined in a little with the light hearted bantering that Syd had been engaging in, but I could tell his heart wasn't in it. Syd had gone to get something to drink and I can remember that we were sitting there when Bridge got up suddenly and threw the rubbish in the bin. He then stood there a moment, looking at me as if deciding something. He then shook his head and turned away, shoving his hands into his pockets and began to walk away. I became alarmed as I'd never seen him this quiet or despondent.

I sprang to my feet without thinking and took off after him.

"Bridge, wait up." Bridge acted like he hadn't heard me. I reached out and put my hand on his arm, speaking again. "Bridge, what's wrong?" He looked up at me and I almost gasped in shock. His eyes looked so full of pain, so lost that I couldn't help myself. I stood in front of him and put my hands on his shoulders, making him look at me properly. "Bridge?" I was getting more and more worried about him then. Sure, I had only known him six months but had found myself slowly warming to him. "Bridge talk to me, please!" I found myself pleading with him, something I that I normally wouldn't do with anyone. I was normally that focussed and intent on my dream that I don't notice others around me. As I stared into his eyes I found myself cursing the fact I hadn't taken the time to get to know him better. Finally he spoke and when he did I cursed myself even more, his voice sounded so lost.

"Why do you care what I'm feeling Sky?" The simpleness and starkness of the question surprised me and I blinked a few times. I paused in answering him and he shook his head, talking his hands out of his pockets and shoving my hands off his shoulders and began to move away. "I thought as much." And now I was floored. This was nothing like the happy go lucky, open and friendly to a fault person I had begun to know. Without thinking I took off after him, grabbing him and getting him to stop. I looked at him.

"What does that mean?" He looked at me like he was trying to decide what to say. Finally he sighed and ran a gloved hand through his hair.

"Look Sky it's not your problem okay? So just don't bother all right." I shook my head and tried to figure out what he meant.

"It is my problem Bridge. Something's bothering you, and it's something to do with me I bet." Bridge looked like he wanted to be anywhere other than standing right there in front of me. I stared him in the eyes, trying to understand what was going on with him. He looked away and then back at me. His eyes looked so lost, so full of pain that I wasn't sure what had caused it. But somehow I knew that it was something to do with me.

"Sky, why are you bothering me with this, you obviously don't care about either of us, so why the sudden concern." And there it hit me. It was about me. But I knew that I shouldn't be making it about me. I should be making it about him, and about us. I put my hands down and sighed, looking away for a moment and then back at him.

"Yeah I know this sounds strange coming from me Bridge. I'm not the easiest person to get along with, I know that."

"That's an understatement. Why don't you trust us Sky?"

I was completely taken aback by his question. There was such honesty, such pain in his voice that it floored me. I hadn't realised that my behaviour towards him and Syd had made him feel that way. I hadn't honestly meant to, but obviously I had.

"I'm sorry Bridge, I honestly didn't mean to give you that impression." I ran a hand through my hair, trying to fit my feelings into words. I had never been good at that sort of thing. I knew that if I was to get the pain filled look out of Bridge's eyes, I would have to try. I looked up and stared him in the eyes. "This isn't easy for me Bridge. I've always been a private person. It's hard for me. It's hard to let people close." Bridge looked at me.

"Not really Sky. You just have to let down your walls a little, that's all." I remember sighing and shoving my hands in my pockets, feeling very unsure of myself.

"I don't know if I can Bridge." I looked him in the eyes, showing him that I was telling the truth, and how hard it was for me. Bridge was always the first to comfort someone if they were feeling down and even though he was the one that was upset, he tried to comfort me. He reached out and put his gloved hand on my shoulder. "I've always been so focussed, so wrapped up in being as good as my Dad. I have to be just as good as my Father. It's my dream to be the Red Ranger, just like my Dad." Bridge nodded, squeezing my shoulder.

"I know Sky. But that doesn't mean you have to shut yourself off from everyone else. The three of us are going to be working closely together over the next few years Sky, I can feel it." Bridge sighed and taking his hand off my shoulder, he ran it through his already mussed hair. "This isn't easy for me either Sky."

I waited for him to speak, knowing that somehow he had to say what was bothering him. He'd only said part of it. It struck me then that there was so much more to Bridge, so much more than I'd been willing to see. And then I realised perhaps it was that way with Syd as well. Then and there I resolved to get to know the both of them better. Perhaps this was the wake up call I needed. I suddenly realised that Bridge was staring me in the eyes, a tiny hint of a smile on his face and his eyes looked a little better.

"What?" He gave a tiny laugh.

"Sky, I'm a psychic remember. I can feel what your feeling." His smile faded slightly. "I've been sensing your feelings ever since I first came to the Academy." Bridge glanced away for a moment and I waited for him to continue. I was amazed to be honest; I didn't know his powers were like that. In fact I didn't know much about his powers. And once more I began to regret that fact. Was I really this shallow? This wrapped up in myself? I found myself staring at him again and he smiled once more. "Sky, you're not shallow and you're not irredeemable." Bridge sighed. "No, I'm not reading your mind Sky. I'm sensing your emotions and right now you're feeling remorse, despondent and regret. But it's not too late. All you have to do is just lighten up a little. We're not asking you to open your soul to us straight away Sky, just let us in a little bit, that's all." I nodded, realising what he meant and I managed a small smile for him.

"I'll try my best Bridge. I promise to try and lighten up and let you guys in a little bit more." Bridge smiled suddenly, his eyes lighting up like they normally did.

"That's great Sky. That's all I'm asking." I smiled at him, pleased to see the clouds lift from his eyes. We began to walk back towards the table.

"So, what else do you powers do? I don't think I've ever really taken time to really understand, and I'm sorry for that." Bridge just smiled as he slung an arm around my shoulders.

"That's okay Sky. It takes a bit to explain, but I'll try." So then began one of the most amazing days in my life. Not only did Bridge explain his powers fully to me, something that I'm glad to this day he did, but so did Syd. And then we played some light ball and just had the most amazing day in the park. I finally realised that these two people were going to be playing a major part in my life in SPD and I found myself not really minding that fact any more. Laughing I caught the frisbee as Syd threw it to me. I threw it to Bridge and he had a grin on his face as well. Today had turned out okay after all.

Now, over two years later as I lay on my bed watching Bridge sleep fitfully I wonder truly if I will ever understand him. We've been Rangers a little while now and I must admit that Bridge helped me get over the disappointment of not being the Red Ranger, something the others don't know about. Lately his powers have been growing and getting stronger, much to our surprise. But with them growing stronger I also worry more. It's getting harder and harder for him to screen out the evil that pervades the air. And that's what's worrying my right now. He told the Commander that he'd fought three more monsters in his dreams. And then Dr Manx confirmed that the monsters he was seeing and feeling were actually real, and that made me worry even more. Hang on, he's awake and up. I don't think I've ever seen that expression on his face before.

"Where you going?" He look's so lost yet so intense that my worry goes up a notch.

"Don't know, just out." And he's gone. I put my book down and frown after his departing back. I don't like this; I don't like this at all. No way am I letting him go out there by himself. I have the feeling that I'm going to need the others to help Bridge. I sprang off my bed and headed for the command centre. And as I ran along the corridor I pushed the worry I felt for my best friend to the back of my mind. But I couldn't help the warm feelings that were inside me when I thought of Bridge. He had turned out to be my best friend and a person that I could always rely on. And I knew that I would always be there for him. And that's why made me run fast, I had to get the others and get them quickly. Bridge was depending on me, even though he didn't realise it.


There you go guys, a nice little one shot. Although I'm tossing up on doing another series focussing on Bridge and Sky and their friendship. But I'm actually going to wait and see what the next few episodes are like... please, read and review.