Something Worth Living For
By
SweetInsomia
Toys and Letters
With Bridge and Z, they are just a few miles from returning back to base. Z looks at Bridge, taking her eyes off the road. Bridge has been abnormally quiet, for the whole ride. Normally she can't get him to quiet, or still for that matter. His new behavior has her worried, about what is running through his head. If she could look into his mind, all she would find a knot of thoughts.
"You okay, Bridge?" She asks stopping at a red light, voicing her concerns.
"I'm fine just thinking," Bridge says looking around them, noticing that they are almost done. Z shakes her head, Bridge is a speech-thinker; he thinks by talking stuff out. He needs to talk, so he can untie his thoughts.
"What about, Bridge?" Z says driving though the intersection, seeing nothing unusual just people walking on the side walks.
"If my sister would like sunflowers or carnations more," Bridge says rubbing his chin, she did like flowers right.
"I'm sure she will be just happy to see you," Z says shaking her head, thinking if Cruger lets us go. But he should let them go, its not like they couldn't be reached.
"Maybe I should get her a balloon, no those lose life after a while too," Bridge says shaking his head. Z however paid more attention to the last part; no those lose life after a while too, what does he mean by that? "I know, Z could we stop for a minute," Bridge says breaking Z's train of thought.
"Sure, Bridge," Z says pulling over, barely taking her seatbelt off, before Bridge runs off. Z shakes her head and follows after him, at a slower pace of course. She thinks of what he said again, no those lose life after a while too, why would he say that?
"Come on Z, I need you opinion," Bridge says running back over to Z, already knowing where they need to go.
"Alright but walk don't run," Z says lacing her fingers with Bridge's. His leather gloved hand not bothering her anymore.
"We're here," Bridge says leading Z into a store. Z looks around the store, shelves filled with toys. She looks over to Bridge; he brought her to a toy store.
"Bridge just how old is your sister," Z says cringing away from the dolls, thinking surely his sister is older than this.
"She is my twin sister actually," Bridge says pulling Z around the store, looking for the perfect thing. "What about this?" Bridge asks holding up a square toy with different colored dots on it.
"What is it?" Z asks taking the small square toy from Bridge.
"It's a brain teaser called a Rubik's Cube. You are supposed to get all of the matching dots on one side," Bridge says watching Z play with the toy, before quickly setting it back on the shelf with the others.
"It's a little too complicated Bridge," Z says walking around the store, looking at things her. "What about this, Bridge?" Z asks dropping a bouncy ball to the floor, the glitter inside shaking up.
"It makes a little too much noise when you throw it," Bridge says catching it, and shaking it up. "I wonder how they got the glitter in the ball," Bridge says and Z takes this as a cue to find a different toy.
"What about this?" Z says grabbing something off the shelf. She holds it out in front of her, almost dropping it when she saw what it was. She picked up a doll, after the hold Cindy Sunshine incident, her hatred of the things has grown. Bridge takes the doll from Z, looking it over.
"It looks like a tiny Syd," He says laughing, and getting a laugh from Z. "She doesn't like dolls though, she always said the eyes creep her out," He says sitting it back on the shelf. He looks around the store, not seeing anything that screams pick me!
"I think I am going to like your sister even more," Z says looking around the store, remembering it doesn't need to make a lot of noise, and that don't lose life after a while, though she still didn't get what he meant by that.
"Can I help you two?" A lady asks walking around the corner. Z is about to tell the old lady no but, Bridge beats her to it.
"Yes, we are looking for a gift, for my sister," Bridge says walking over to the lady who, looks about sixty.
"I see," the lady says looking over a Z, "I think she could pick her own gift." The two rangers laugh, the lady thinks Z is Bridge's sister.
"She is not my sister, she is my girlfriend," Bridge says lacing his fingers with Z's.
"Oh I am so sorry, young lady, guess I need to get my eyes checked again," the older lady says looking at Z, adjusting her glasses.
"It's fine," Z says laughing, waving it off like it was nothing.
"Now then, I think I know just the thing for your sister," the lady says walking away. Bridge and Z follow her to the far side of the store. "How about this, children?" The old lady turns holding a teddy bear. At first Z was going to correct the lady on calling them children but, after seeing the medium brown bear, she can't seem to remember that she was going to say. Bridge carefully lifts the bear from the lady's arms. Z notices the brown fur matches his hair. Bridge hugs the bear to himself.
"It's huggable, doesn't make noise it's-it," Bridge says not how to word it, lucky Z does.
"Perfect," Z finishes for him.
"Yeah that, sis will love it," Bridge says walking over to the counter. The lady pushes a few buttons on the counter.
"Would you like me to wrap the bear up?" The lady asks.
"Yes please," Bridge says handing over the bear. The lady sets the bear in a box, and folds over the two top flaps. She lightly tapes the tops, and turns to Bridge.
"What kind of paper would you like?" she asks point to the shelf behind her. Bridge looks at all the colored paper but one color screams pick me!
"The amber paper," Bridge says pointing to the bright orange paper. The lady takes and wraps the paper around the box. She finishes the box with a big red bow.
"It will be ten dollars even, young man," The lady says handing the light box to Z. Bridge hands her a ten, and says.
"I thought it would be more than that."
"S.P.D. has a discount here, have a nice day, and I hope she likes it," the lady says as the two exit the store. The pair wave back to the lady, as Bridge takes the box.
"She was nice," Bridge says craddling the box carefully, as he gets into the Jeep.
"She was, but we need to get back before Cruger thinks something happened," Z says putting on her seatbelt. Bridge puts his on minding the box, holding it carefully as Z drives.
"You don't think he will say no, do you?" Bridge asks as they finish the patrol, he has high hopes that Cruger will let them.
"Even if he said no to the whole team, you and me could still go and see her," Z says signing the jeep back in. Bridge nods and pushes the button to the elevator.
"Could you go with me? For moral support," Bridge says letting Z go in the elevator first.
"Sure Bridge and I'll hold that while you talk to Cruger," Z says talking the box from him. Bridge nods and straights his uniform. They walk to Command Centre, the cadets moving out of the way. Some giving Z odd looks and others stop completely to look. They get to the Command Centre, the automatic doors opening. Bridge salutes and Z does too, managing to balance the box on her leg.
"I trust the patrol went well," Cruger says glancing at Z holding the box. "And just who is that for Cadet," Cruger says glancing back and forth between the pair. He knows its not anyones birthday, well not that he can remeber.
"Well sir, I was wondering if we could go, as a team to meet my sister," Bridge says rubbing his head, begging the dog with his eyes.
"Then the gift is for your sister?" Cruger asks putting two and two together. At least he didn't miss someone's birthday.
"Yes, sir," Bridge says praying for a yes in his head. If not his next day off, he is gone.
"I will tell you what I told Cadet Tate. Then I approve, you can go Saturday to see your sister. If I need you I will call," Cruger says walking back over to his chair.
"Thank you sir, wait...Sky already talked to you?" Bridge says exchanging looks with Z, Sky already asked that's strange.
"Yes, about the same time you left. In truth I was just as shocked as you are," Cruger says knowing that Sky wouldn't have asked if he wasn't atleast a little bit curious. "A few words before you leave," Cruger says leaning down towards the rangers.
"Sir," They say in unison, a habit that will be hard to break.
"Sky doesn't get out that much, so try and make it fun for him," Cruger says as the two of them nod. "Also, what did you get her?"
"A teddy bear," Bridge says taking the box from Z, lifting it up even though Cruger can't see the bear. "Thank you, again sir."
"Your very welcome, Bridge. Now you two are dismissed," Cruger says leaning back in his chair. The pair salutes, the big blue dog, and walk from the Centre.
"That went better than I expect. I guess Sky talking to him right after we left, helped," Bridge says making his way back to his room, with Z at his side.
"Bridge have you noticed how, different Sky has been acting since Jack left. It's weird," Z says helping Bridge dodge Cadets in the hall.
"I have noticed, I bunk with him, even his aura is different. It was greenish blue for jealously, now it's like reddish white-" Bridge starts his ramble.
"Oh look where here," Z says as she gives Bridge a kiss on the cheek. "And I have to tell Syd, about Saturday. See you later."
"Bye Z," Bridge says touching his tingling cheek. "Open." Bridge walks into the room, seeing Sky reading his handbook. Bridge knows what Sky is getting for Christmas, a different book to read.
"Thank you for talking to the Commander, Sky," Bridge says setting the box on his bed, looking to his roommate.
"Your welcome, Bridge it seemed like the right thing to do. What's in the box?" Sky asks sitting up, looking the box over.
"A gift for my sister," Bridge says taking her last letter from his pocket.
"Speaking of your sister, what is she like?" Sky asks setting his feet on the floor, letting hisself give into temptation.
"It's hard say, it's been so long since I talked to her in person," Bridge says standing up on his bed, knowing that he can't wait for Saturday. They have so much to catch up on, the question is will she be up to it. He knows her condition limits many aspects of her life.
"And why is that?" Sky asks as Bridge takes a row of books of his shelf.
"She doesn't like hollo-phones, she says it's like me being there, but I'm not really there. She would rather not see me, and write letters to me, than see me that way. She told me she wants me there so, she can hug me. My sister is a very touchy feely person," Bridge says setting the books down on his bed. He reaches back to the wall where the books, he pushes part of the wall. It moves part of the wall; he grabs and pulls that part of the wall. Soon Bridge has box in his hands, no wonder Sky couldn't find the letters, not that he tried.
"You know that's against regulations to modify one's room by removing part of the wall," Sky says his handbook monitor side kicking in. Though he would admitt that it was very smart on Bridge's part.
"I didn't modify my room, I modified our room," Bridge says sitting back down on his bed. "You tell and we both get in trouble," Bridge says putting in the combination in to open the box. When he opens the box, Sky can see all of the other letters in the box. At least a hundred other letters are kept inside the box.
"Why do you keep her old letters?" Sky says getting ready for his evening run, retying his shoes.
"She keeps mine, it's only fair. If it came from family, she keeps it as long as possible. Unless its food, it's gone the same day," Bridge says talking an envelope from the box. "Here is a picture of her," Bridge says handing Sky a picture. Sky looks at the picture a teenage Bridge wearing green and a girl a few years younger. They hair was about the same color, hers is longer though, that gets him are their eyes. The girl has deep hazel pools for eyes, she was wearing a yellow shirt and blue plaid scarf. The picture cuts off their low halves, but Sky can tell Bridge is lifting her up in the picture. She is leaning on him, his one arm over his shoulder, just like his. "It's not recent, it was taken before I came to the Academy," Bridge says as Sky hands him back the picture.
"You two looked close," Sky says standing up, knowing that he doesn't have anyone to connect with on the sibling level.
"We are, were. We have always been," Bridge says putting the picture back in the envelope. "Time for the evening run already, Sky it's not that late?"
"Yeah, but I got the night watch tonight," Sky says as he grabs his Ipod, off his night stand. None of the other rangers know what kind of music is on it, but they have their guesses.
"Okay, Bye Sky," Bridge says as Sky leaves the room, while he looks though the box for one special letter. When he finds it, he carefully unfolds the ancient paper. He rereads the letter, his favorite letter from his favorite sister. She is his only sister, and he could never replace her with anyone. The words she writes in her letters speak to him, like she is there reading it to him, and only him. Her words show him what he has to live for.
That's all for now folks, thanks to all of you who are reading my story. If you like my story you'll love xXxKaraBeckerCutterxXx Phoniex series. She has helped me out a lot, and is an amazing author! So if you have a minute go check her stories out.