Just thought I'd try a little SPD fanfic to juggle things up a little. Again, all reviews and comments will be welcomed. Now to dispense with the usual stuff.

Timeline: The events immediately surrounding Birdie Fowler's retirement.

Legal: Usual story, I don't own Power Rangers…You know the drill, all I own are the events, characters etc. that aren't owned by the makers of Power Rangers.

Rating: T. Mild language, violence, themes etc. Nothing that should offend, but just covering myself.

Bridge was working hard in the Gym deep within the compound of the SPD earth station. Working off some of his aggression as he thrashed through another set of pull-ups. It had been six months now since Jack, one of his best friends, had elected to resign from the team. He was happy for the promotion to Blue Ranger, and it had been good that SOPHIE had at last received an opportunity to move up to the main team. He really liked her, and she worked as hard as any of them, but somehow the team still never felt quite right. He couldn't put his finger on it, but the whole group dynamic had changed since Sky took over as Red Ranger.

Sitting on the bench, he casually mopped the sweat from his face with a towel as he stared at himself in the mirrors. The one thing that had changed about him in all those months was his physique. He was always in pretty good shape, but since Jack left, he'd taken to spending longer and longer by himself, throwing himself with a frenzied enthusiasm into his exercise regime. He had managed to throw on almost 35 lbs of muscle since then, and it definitely showed. As he sat, staring into space, he didn't even notice Z entering the room, tossing a kit bag into the corner.

"Hey Bridge." She greeted him, suddenly becoming aware that he was there. 'Yeah right!' She thought to herself. 'It's Bridge, where else has he been living for the past six months? Of course he's in the gym!' "Good workout?"

"Not bad." He replied, flipping open a water bottle and gulping enthusiastically. He lay back on the bench press, getting his bearings as he felt a little light-headed. He'd been getting that way quite a lot recently. He had taken to torturing himself to the point of virtual collapse on a virtually daily basis. Z and Syd had expressed some concerns about him, but he just ignored them. 'It's not like they're complaining when we get caught in a battle is it!' He always thought to himself. He didn't need his ESP to know that Z had completely lost interest in her own workout. He could tell she was more interested in talking with him, most likely about his 'feelings' or something like that. She always seemed to try to get him to open up to her. God, she could talk! 'Did I just think that?' he thought. But it was starting to get a little old. He just wanted to be left to his own devices.

"Listen, have you heard anything about the officers in here?" She asked. Bridge had closed his eyes as he lay down. She had wanted to get him to talk to her, but she could tell he wasn't listening. 'Maybe changing the subject will work.' She thought. 'I can try again later.' She had grown concerned for his welfare over the last few months. Ever since Jack left, he had grown quieter, and tended to shut himself away from the group. He had been tearing himself apart in the gym for as long as she could remember. She had especially expressed concern when she found him passed out in the free weights area a few weeks back, but he had refused to report to sick bay. 'Well there is one up side to all this time he's spending down here.' She mused inwardly, finding herself, once again checking out his vastly improved physique. She had to admit, she'd liked him before, but now she could hardly focus when she was around him.

"Nothing." He replied, groaning. He saw through the thin attempt at subterfuge instantly. Even with his gloves on. "Why is there something going on?"

"Not sure." She answered, sitting on the mats beside him. "There seems to be a lot of activity. They're preparing a shuttle in the launch bay."

"It's a space port." He reminded her. "They prepare hundreds of shuttles. They launched a dozen just Yesterday."

"Not commander Kruger's PERSONAL shuttle." She interjected. This caught Bridge's attention, causing him suddenly to sit up and turn to face her.

"Maybe he's taking a trip over to Central Command." He suggested.

"Please, Kruger and Birdie hate each other." She commented. "He tries to spend as little time up there as he can."

"Well sometimes he doesn't have a choice." He sighed, guzzling more water. Z could see the sweat dripping down his body, his clothes clinging to him. Her concerns for his health rose a little, but she persevered. If she tried to talk to him now, he'd probably just storm off again.

"I'm not sure." She shot back. "Everyone's been pretty quiet. It feels like something big's happening. Even Kat doesn't seem to know what's going on."

This got his attention. Kat was virtually the font of all knowledge in SPD. She always seemed to know what was happening within the organisation. If she didn't know, then 99 times out of 100 it wasn't happening. It was the other one time that always made people nervous.

"B-squad report immediately to the Command Centre. B-squad to Command Centre." The announcement crackled across the internal communication system. "Guess we're gonna find out." Z stated, pulling on her uniform jacket over her gym gear. "I'll see you up there." As she bounded from the room, Bridge tried to get up, but found himself collapsing back onto the equipment again. Shaking loose the cobwebs, he got up and made his way to the elevator.

The Rangers quickly assembled in the command centre, lining up in their uniforms, saluting Commander Kruger as he arrived in the room. "Where's Bridge?" He asked, noting his absence.

"Here sir." He announced, strolling into the room, still in his gym gear, absent-mindedly saluting as an afterthought. "I was just in the gym."

"I can see that." Kruger groaned, cursing his sensitive sense of smell. This was one of the times he'd probably have wished he didn't even have a nose. He'd seen Bridge enter the gym in the early hours of the morning, obviously he'd been there for several hours, given his current state.

"Well, I did ask you to assemble immediately, so I suppose it's my fault you're out of uniform." He mused. "Anyway, I called you all in here to make an important announcement, and address a few rumours that have been making their way around the base. Rumour number 1, a senior member of SPD central command is leaving the service. I can confirm that this is true. Commander Birdie Fowler announced his intention to retire at 6PM Eastern Standard Time last night."

The group tried to comprehend what They'd just heard. Fowler was leaving?

"Commander Fowler has served SPD for many years, and while it is no secret we sometimes clashed heads, There was always respect there. On behalf of everyone at SPD I wish him well in whatever he chooses to do." He paced the room, judging the reaction from the Rangers. "Rumour number two. I am going to Central Command. I can confirm…That this is also true. I was offered the position of Supreme Commander first thing this morning, and I have accepted. I will be leaving as soon as we're finished here."

This almost caused the Rangers to collapse. Doggie leaving earth?

"Sky." He announced. Sky stepped forward one pace. "Who would you think should lead SPD earth?"

"Anyone you see fit to…"

"I'm not asking for the diplomatic answer." He interrupted. "You're a leader now, you may speak candidly."

"Well…I…"

"Let me put it another way." He commanded, drawing the Shadow Saber, and presenting the handle to him. "Sky, you now have command of the base. Turn in your morpher."

"Excuse me?"

Kruger placed his own morpher on the table in front of Sky. "You are now Commander of SPD earth." He reiterated a little more forcefully. "Congratulations."

"Sir…I…" He took the sword and the morpher, returning once more to attention. "I won't let you down."

"I know you won't Tate." He replied. "Your first duty as Commander of SPD earth will be to appoint a new Red Ranger to lead B-Squad." As Sky prepared to say something, Kruger silenced him by holding up a hand. "Do not rush this decision, it's important. I'll expect an answer on my desk by the end of the week. It's been an honour serving with you all. Dismissed."

As the Rangers saluted, Z noticed Bridge surging from the room without a word. Following him into the hall, she watched him disappear into the long, anonymous hallways of SPD's inner structure. Something bothered her about the way he was acting. It was never like Bridge to be short of something to say, especially when news this important hit them. But it was something deeper that bothered her more than anything else. Something she was sure she noticed in his face as he left the room on his solitary trudge through the building.

"Was he…was he crying?"