Serene Relations

A.N: Well and truly past the halfway point now. In fact, I think we've only got two more chapters after this to go, judging from my plan. Internal plan. Kat Ranger, I hope you don't mind me using the title you suggested for the the title of this fic for the chapter title. Also, a little mistake in the last Author's Notes: I said it was day six, right? Well, actually, it should have been day seven! I forgot to count Serene Reflections. Sorry! Um, let's think a way out of this…let's just say that Serene Reflections didn't count, as it was before their break started, okay? Good? Alright then, I'll just leave you to enjoy this chapter. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own Power Rangers.


The alarm buzz was an early morning sound few liked to hear.

The insistent buzz, buzz, buzz of the alarm woke one of the two inhabitants of the large bed slowly.

Fingers ran themselves across the glass surface of the bedside table, groping for the insistent thing. Fingertips felt the cold, metal surface of the alarm, and in a single, joyous moment, silenced it. The buzz faded out slowly, as the hand moved back into the warmth, comfort and safety of the bed. Fingers found and grasped strands of long, dark hair, stroking the strands.

The morning suddenly seemed much more enjoyable.

Bridge, his eyes still closed, pulled the warm, naked, sleeping form of Kat Manx closer to his own body. A little resistance, as Kat struggled a bit, before giving in to the temptation of the mutual warmth, snuggling her body into the open cavity of space between her back and Bridge's chest.

The morning suddenly seemed to feel too good.

Bridge didn't want to open his eyes. This had to be a dream, right? The alarm, the warm body next to him, the comfortable bed. This had to be a dream. All of it seemed to fit. He had an alarm, but it didn't sound like that. Next, who would want to sleep with him? Finally, his bed was comfortable, but not this comfortable.

He opened his eyes slowly.

The room wasn't his. He looked over next to him, and nearly sprang out when he saw Kat lying next to him, sleeping. The sheets were drawn and pinned to her sides, covering most of her naked body, but leaving her slender, pale arms exposed. Her chest rose slightly when she breathed, and fell back. Long, dark strands of hair fell over and framed her face. She looked innocent, so innocent that he could hardly imagine her doing what they had done last night if he had not seen or experienced it himself….which he had.

Propping himself up on his elbow, Bridge spent time just looking at her. The sheet, in a strange form of irony, was covering her body, but at the same time, it hugged it close enough for one to get the barest ideas. Tired of holding up on one elbow, he dropped back down, and pulled her closer. This time, she came freely, with little resistance. He closed his eyes again, and rested his head next to Kat's, letting some of her hair brush over his face, tickling his nose. He shook his head slightly to get rid of the feeling, inadvertently pushing the strands off his face.

Kat mumbled something that he couldn't make out as he slid his arms around her, entwining them around her waist. He stayed in that position for a while- ten minutes, five minutes, one; he didn't know how long he and Kat stayed like that, but as always, time was irrelevant to them.

Removing one arm from Kat's waist and out of the covers, he wrapped it around her shoulder, enjoying the feeling of her cool skin. He still could barely get his head around the fact that he could touch her, and not be overloaded with emotions and memories. But, now he could, and relished the opportunity to experience the feeling.

His fingers found her collarbone, and traced it back and forth. Over the last ten hours or so, he had discovered that Kat had a remarkably human-like body, despite being feline. He had found shoulder blades, collar bones and many others. After bringing up this with her, she had assured him that most of the differences between her and humans, apart from her ears, which funnily enough, to him, felt like rabbit ears in that they were flexible, but rigid and slightly furred, were mainly anatomical, rather than physical. The various spots on her cheek, which had often mystified him to their purpose, too had been explained to him by Kat.

Originally, he and many others had thought that they had only been there for aesthetic purposes, part of her make-up as a Sphinxian, like freckles for a human. But she had told him that the spots were like genetic markers. Each Sphinxian had a unique pattern, and the patterns were recorded into a database at a few months of age, when they were fully visible, much like DNA.

Seeing the time on the clock, he sighed, and flopped back onto his back, staring up at the ceiling. If he could, he would have stayed like this forever. Maybe not forever, but definitely longer than he currently could. This was his last day on a week long break/holiday. Never had he imagined hooking up with Kat within seven days, let alone bedding her, which was never his intention, but rather, a side…benefit, that occurred along the way.

Knowing that he couldn't stay in bed with Kat forever, he leaned over to Kat's side, and brushed a few stray strands of hair out of her face, before placing a kiss on her cheek. With that done, he quietly slipped out of the bed, and tugged on some clothing. Without his body there, Kat rolled over onto her back with a small sigh, occupying the space where he had been moments ago, still sleeping.

With enough clothing to be deemed decent should someone walk in- a highly unlikely possibility, but one Bridge wasn't willing to discount- he stretched his sore, tired and pleasantly aching muscles. Looking around, he saw Kat's dress still where it had been left-on the floor, as were various other garments, belonging to both him and Kat. As he looked, he caught sight of himself in the mirror. Walking closer, Bridge raised his head slightly so that he could see his neck. There were no marks there. Kat had come what seemed to be perilously close to tearing out his throat with her fangs when she had lightly scraped them across his throat the night before. He had trusted her with his life, literally. If she had made a single wrong movement, then she would have torn his jugular out. But she didn't, and only served to bring the level of trust between them to new highs.

He heard the rustling of the sheets behind him, and turned to see Kat sit up, the sheets still drawn close to her body. Rubbing her eyes sleepily, Kat yawned, her fangs quite prominent.

"Morning Kat," Bridge said, moving to sit down next to her.

"Morning," Kat yawned.

"Tired?"

"Why wouldn't I be?"

"What does that mean?"

"I barely remember the last time I woke up like this. I'm quite sure that you don't, either," Kat said.

"Woke up like this?"

"You know what I mean. Waking up after a night of mating or love making or whatever you want to call it," Kat said somewhat dismissively.

"Oh, I see," Bridge said.

Kat leaned over, and whisked her tongue across his cheek; one of the signs of affection from her own world.

"Michelle's going to go nuts when she hears about this," Kat sighed, as she got up out of the bed, and reached for her own garments.

"Why?" Bridge asked as Kat headed for the shower. The shower started only a few seconds after.

"She is a little…unsure, of our relationship. She isn't against it, but isn't all that happy about it either," Kat called back over the roar of the water pouring down.

Bridge padded into the shower, and sat down as the water continued to flow. Kat came out a few minutes later, shaking her head to remove excess moisture. He blushed, turned away, and handed her the towel whilst looking away from Kat and the mirror. It wasn't that he hadn't seen her naked before- last night was a testament to that- but he didn't look out of politeness.

"Thanks," Kat said gratefully.

As she wrapped the towel around herself, she couldn't help but wait for the inevitable snide remark about having already seen her naked. Some of her relationships were filled with that, and it annoyed her to no end. It didn't come, for which Kat was glad and thankful that Bridge was a stickler to polite tradition.

"You can look now," she informed him.

Bridge turned back to face Kat as she dried herself.

"So, why is your sister not too fond of us? She's nice enough to me."

"I'm not too sure myself. Maybe she's not too sure about it, maybe it's because humans look similar to a Sphinxian female, but don't give it too much thought. She'll come around, eventually. And I never said she didn't like you. I said she has a few problems concerning the relationship," Kat said as she walked back into her room. "You can shower now if you want. You don't have to head back into your room."

"Thanks," Bridge said.

He stepped into the shower as Kat fished around in her closet to find her day's clothing. After pulling out a white blouse and a black skirt, she heard Bridge cry from the shower: "Kat, what am I going to wear?"

Kat's laughter filled her quarters as the shower continued to run.


Some time later, a fully dressed, sore and embarrassed Bridge walked into the cafeteria, where his teammates all sat, still tired from the night before.

"Morning," Bridge said as he plopped down next to Syd.

"M-morning," Syd yawned.

"Late night?" asked Bridge.

"Don't tell me you didn't have one as well," Z said.

"And don't forget Kat as well," Syd said, with a small snicker.

"Syd, leave Bridge alone. You know how nervous he gets when people start to talk about him and Kat," Sky reprimanded. Whether he was serious or not, Bridge didn't know.

"Sure thing- you can tell me about it later, Bridge," said Syd with a wink.

"Syd," Sky warned, raising a cup fill of orange juice to his mouth.

"Oh, fine, I'll leave Bridge and Kat alone. How about you Sky? What did you and Z get up to last night?" Syd asked, turning the tables onto the two.

Sky choked on his first gulp, before choking on the rest still in the cup. Wheezing, he placed the cup down and coughed. Z thumped him over the back a few times, before the coughing subsided and Sky was finally able to talk, or at least, wheeze without coughing his guts out.

"Nothing," Sky coughed.

"Sure. Well, if you need me, give me a call. I'll be out a little," Syd said, pushing back out of her seat.

"Have fun," Z said, taking a large bite of the sandwich. "Bye!" she said through a mouthful of toasted bread, ham and melted cheese.

"Gross Z," said a thoroughly disgusted Syd as she left.

"Look what you've done. You've scared her off!" scolded Sky.

"Her? I thought that I was your girl!" Z said with mock sadness.

"You are!" Sky protested.

"Whatever Sky," Z said sulkily.

Sky slung an arm around her shoulder. "Come on, I didn't mean that."

Z punched him in the arm, grinning. "Did you actually believe me?"

Bridge shook his head as Sky and Z argued.

"Well, I think I'm not really needed around here much more," he said, standing up. "Maybe I'll meet you guys later sometime?"

Sky took a break from arguing to look up at Bridge. "Sure thing. See ya later."

"If you ever need company, just join us," Z added. "Not that you really will be alone much more anyway, with Kat and all."

"I'll keep that in mind, you know, because you never know and all, and Kat sometimes is very busy, with the workload and all that," Bridge said, grabbing a croissant as he walked out of the cafeteria.


"Morning Kat," said Boom as he walked through the doors of the lab.

"Morning Boom. Have a good night?" Kat responded looking up from her work.

"Yeah, it was alright."

"That's good to hear," Kat said.

"Something happen last night?"

"Why?"

"You sound very chipper this morning," Boom cautiously stated, walking over to where the tropical bird he and Bridge had unleashed last night was, still in its glass imprisonment.

"Chipper?"

"A lot happier, and you even look it," he clarified, tapping the glass.

The response from the bird was immediate, as it squawked indignantly and loudly, before proceeding to slam against the walls of the box. Boom leapt back with surprise.

"Is it against the law for me to be happy once in a while?"

"No, just kind of different, because you're normally very business-like in the morning," said Boom. "I'm thinking that your relationship with Bridge has done something for us all."

"Thanks Boom."

"Did something happen last night?"

"Why?"

"Because it's kinda early in the morning, and unless Bridge already proposed to you, which would make you happy, the most logical explanation for your happiness, which isn't a bad thing, must have happened last night. So how was your night?"

"Last night was tiring, eventful and unforgettable. Leave it at that, Boom."

"Really?" asked Boom.

"Boom, just sit down and help me finish the last of these reports. They're due soon, and Doggie's going to have my rear end if they aren't handed in."

"Okay," said Boom, dropping the subject about Kat's night immediately. He knew when to back off. "We can't let that happen, can we? Especially not since Bridge already has your rear end…"

Kat glared at him, and Boom snapped his hand over his mouth. He smiled meekly.

"Eh, my bad?" he offered.

Kat growled, and he found the report suddenly looking so much more interesting. He whistled innocently, and Kat eventually turned back to work on her part of the reports as well.

"So, about the bird," Boom started.

Kat looked up. "What about it?"

"Why isn't it shipped back yet?"

"Haven't had the time," Kat said.

"Oh really?"

"Yes Boom. Unless you're suggesting that you do it?"

"Uh, no thanks. I'm good."

"Thought so."

They went back to work, until Bridge came in, chomping on a croissant.

"Morning Kat. Hi Boom," Bridge greeted.

"Hey."

"Morning."

"Busy people, aren't we? I know what that's like- kinda. I mean, it's like school- one thing after another, you want to do something else, and they all start piling up, and then you're working like there's no tomorrow."

"That happened to you?" asked Boom.

"Yeah, a lot of times. You know, I always wanted to do something else- reading a good book, for example, or upgrading my computer. But, at least I got it done," Bridge said, walking over to the bird, and tapping the glass much like Boom did. It also reacted in the same way.

Kat sighed.

"Can you two leave the bird alone? It's already been stuck in there for a while, and we're trying to get it shipped out today."

"Sorry Kat."

"I suppose I better talk to Doggie about moving it now than later," Kat sighed, and rose.

"Wait, Kat, I needed to talk to you about something," Bridge said.

"I suppose that you wouldn't come into my lab for nothing. Can it wait a little Bridge? Getting rid of the bird is one of my top priorities. My lab is not a zoo."

"Um, alright, I suppose," Bridge said as Kat walked out of the lab.

With Kat gone, he and Boom started to gravitate to the glass container which held the tropical bird.

"It's amazing how much damage one of these can cause, isn't it?" Bridge asked as he and Boom clustered around it.

"Yeah," Boom agreed, tapping the top of the container.

Unfortunately, Boom ended up tapping the locking mechanism- more specifically, the undo button. The lock slid open, and a part of the lid did the same. The bird, seizing the opportunity for its long lost bid at freedom, screeched loudly, and flew up, knocking away the lid, and flying out from its imprisonment, and into the lab once again.

The screaming and shouting was near instant, as Boom and Bridge did their best to reel in an angry tropical bird with sharp talons. Colourful feathers denoted its flight path as it whizzed around the lab. Luckily, it was flying high enough so that it missed most of the chemical containers, and the experiments, most of which were stored at a lower level than what the bird was flying at.

"How do we bring it in!" shouted Boom as he made an unsuccessful lunge at the bird.

It squawked loudly, and dive-bombed the technician, who scrambled under a bench as the beak missed him by a few mere centimetres.

"I don't know! Kat did it!" Bridge shouted back, throwing himself down as the bird flew right where he had been standing before.

"Then how did Kat do it?" Boom cried back.

"I'm not sure about it either! But she got mangled up pretty badly!"

"What? She looked just like normal!"

"I meant her arm! Had to have it bandaged and all!"

"How come she didn't tell me?"

The bird once again made a dive at the technician as he threw himself down.

"Think I can contain it with my morpher?" Bridge asked as they both met at the same table, ducking from the same bird.

"Not sure!"

"I wish Kat would come back sooner!" Bridge said, echoing the future Sam's words when Kat had left.


"Doggie," Kat said as she walked into the Command Centre, her clicking heels announcing her presence to him before he had actually saw her.

"Kat. How are you?" asked Cruger as Kat approached his desk, passing the various cadets who still had to work.

"I'm feeling fine. Very good, in fact. How's Isinia?"

"She is well. It's good to know that you're just as well. What did you come to see me for?"

"About the tropical bird that Bridge and Boom inadvertently brought into my lab yesterday," Kat said. "I need it shipped out back to wherever it came from very soon- it's difficult to work with it in there."

"I'll see to it as soon as possible, Kat."

"I think it would be better if you and I worked it out right now. While I still have time, and before Bridge decides to take me out again," Kat said, crossing her arms. She had said the last part so quietly that only Cruger had heard her.

"Speaking of which, I really do hope that your relationship with Bridge isn't affecting your work. The reports are due very soon Kat," Cruger reminded her. He too kept his remarks about Kat and Bridge's relationship quieter so that the cadets wouldn't hear.

"They're almost done. Boom and I have just about finished with the last of them, but the blasted bird is distracting him from work."

Cruger sighed, a rumbling sound from the depths of his throat. "We can organise the movers today. I'll contact them. But the bill," Cruger paused, thinking, "will have to come out of either Bridge's or Boom's, as they were the ones who brought the bird here."

"Doggie, if there's a bill, it's coming out of my account," Kat said, placing both her hands on Cruger's desk and leaning forward. "I'll take responsibility for the incident."

"I do hope it's not because of the fact that you're in a relationship with Bridge."

"It's not," Kat said.

"Good. Well, then, I suppose that settles everything. Is there anything else you want to talk about?"

"No, that's all. I'll see you later, Doggie," Kat said as she walked away towards the entrance to the Command Centre.

"The reports, Kat," he called out after her. "I'll need them very soon."

He saw her nod, a graceful movement of her head, before she disappeared beyond the door.

Kat walked away from the Command Centre, and towards her lab again. She tried to calculate the cost of the removal of relocation of the bird, but without sufficient information, gave it up as a lost cause as the elevator grounded to a halt.

Her lab just metres away, Kat heard shouting from within, and assumed the worst. Running in, Kat nearly had her head taken off when a colourful red streak whooshed past overhead.

"Kat!"

Hearing the cry, Kat saw Bridge and Boom ducked behind a table as the bird zoomed around the room, intent on dive-bombing its captors whenever it caught sight of it. Once again, Kat found herself wrestling with the bird, trying to catch it and subdue it long enough for her to get a good grip on it, but it wasn't quite willing to give in yet, especially considering it was free.

They struggled, and eventually, with a little assistance from Bridge and Boom, the bird was finally subdued, and placed back within the glass box, much to its dismay, demonstrated by the loud squawking and screeching it kept emitting.

"That took some time," Bridge said, wiping his brow. "Whew."

"Yeah. Definitely," Boom said.

"Which one of you let it out?" asked Kat.

When neither of them opted to say anything, she added, "I won't report you. I just want to know."

Boom put his hand up slowly. "It was kind of an accident," he said. "We were just looking at it when I accidentally touched the lock, which let it out."

"Next time, be a little more careful Boom," Kat sighed as she slid back onto her seat.

Boom sat down in front of her, and pulled a report closer. Bridge hung around close to Kat, glancing over her shoulder.

"What was it that you wanted to ask me before Bridge?" Kat questioned.

"Do you want to get out some time soon? Just for lunch," he added.

Kat shrugged. "I can't see a reason not too, at least for the moment. But, I need to get these reports with Boom done first. They're going to be overdue within a couple of hours, and I'll need nearly every one of them to get it all done."

"Fine by me. I'll just sit down and wait for a while."

Within minutes though, Bridge was bored of sitting down and watching Kat and Boom work. He tried to understand what they were doing, but was either failing, or doing an outstanding job of not understanding. He read over Kat's shoulder, he wandered around looking at the various pieces of machinery, experimental items and chemicals. When he had exhausted all other means of entertainment, he sat back down.

"Bridge, why don't you actually get out a little and do something while I work instead of boring yourself to death here?" Kat suggested, not looking up from the report.

"What can I do?"

"Check out the electronics? I hear that they have some faster hardware for a computer there," Boom suggested.

"Maybe later."

"How about you find and check up on my sister?" Kat said looking up at Bridge. "I haven't talked to her since yesterday, and still have no clue on what she's doing. If you find her, and she's wandering around alone, can you accompany her for a while? She gets really bored without someone to talk to."

Bridge thought about it for a moment.

"And when I'm finished, I can find you, and take Michelle out as well," Kat said, turning back to the report.

"Sure thing. See ya," Bridge said, walking out of the lab.

"Bye," Kat and Boom said.

"You know, I haven't met your sister," Boom said.

"No?"

"Nope."

"Then I'll have to make sure you do. When these are finished, do you want to come with us?"

"To?"

"Have lunch and meet my sister."

"Aren't you and Bridge going to lunch?" Boom asked, a perplexed look on his face.

"Michelle's already going to come with us, so it's not just me and Bridge anymore. So you might as well come with us," Kat said. "Besides, Bridge won't mind."

"Are you sure?"

"Definitely."

"Alright then. Thanks," said Boom.


Bridge found that trying to find a specific person in Newtech City without knowing their whereabouts was akin to trying to find a needle in a haystack. He had no idea where Michelle was, where she liked to go, but at least he knew what she looked like.

"Kat?" he asked into his morpher.

"What is it?"

"Do you know where Michelle is?"

"Try the Mall," Kat dryly said. "I'm sure you can figure out where she likes to go."

"Oh, okay. Thanks Kat, see ya in an hour or so," he said, flipping the morpher shut.

With some newfound direction, he took Kat's advice, and moved off in the direction of the Mall. Of course, the directions weren't completely specific- he had no idea where she was in the Mall, which store she liked, or even if she was at home, wherever that was.

Resigning himself to the long, arduous task of searching for and finding Michelle Manx, Bridge walked onwards. With the entire Mall in front of him, he briefly considered using his psychic powers to determine where Michelle had gotten herself to, but dismissed the notion just as fast. He had no idea about what her aura looked like, and with all the people wandering around, their auras would mix until they blended into each other, making find a specific person using his powers next to impossible.

Eventually, after searching thoroughly through the Mall, he caught sight of a pair of cat-like ears, with a long dark hair accompanying it.

"Hey, Michelle!" he shouted over the ambient noise of chatter in the Mall.

He was about to try again when it became apparent that she had heard him, for she turned and looked around for the person who had shouted her name.

Bridge pushed past crowds of people, trying to reach Michelle before she got impatient waiting.

"Hey," she greeted as he finally stumbled close enough to have a decent conversation.

"Hi. Kat just wanted to know how you're doing," Bridge said.

"And she sent you?"

"She's very busy."

"Well, can't say I'm not too bad. Tell her that I said 'thanks' for asking," Michelle said.

"Well, that's always good to know. Do you mind if I stayed with you for a while? Kat's going to be finished in about an hour, maybe, and then we're going to lunch," Bridge said. "And she wants you to come with us as well."

"Aren't you and Kat going to lunch together?" she asked sceptically.

"Well, yeah, but we can get out anytime, really. And besides, we might be having more company. I was thinking of getting Sky, Syd and Z as well as Jack and Ally to come as well, you know, because it's the last day for my break, and something…grand, needs to be done. And because save for yesterdays party, nothing really extraordinary has happened over the last week," Bridge told her.

"Does Kat know that more people are coming?" asked Michelle as they weaved through the crowd.

"Nope. In fact, I haven't asked any of them yet," Bridge said.

Michelle raised an eyebrow.

"I will though," added Bridge.

"You'd better do it soon, then," Michelle said.

"I will. In fact, I might as well do it now," Bridge said, pulling out his morpher. "Guys?"

"Yeah, what is it Bridge?" came Sky's voice. Bridge thought he heard a hint of annoyance in his leader's voice.

"Do you want to meet up for lunch? All of us," he added as Michelle looked at his morpher with interest. She also picked up a certain familiar scent…

Syd replied first. "Sure thing Bridge!"

"Cool. How about you, Sky? And Z?"

"If Sky wants to, I'm cool," replied Z.

"I don't see why not," Sky sighed. "Where do you want to meet?"

"Somewhere nice would be preferable," Z added, most likely using Sky's morpher.

"Syd can pick," Bridge said.

"Really?"

"Just don't take too long. Call us when you've finished deciding," Sky said. "Sky-..."

"-and Z," added his girlfriend.

"-out."

"Well, I'll call all of you once I've finished," Syd said.

"Sure. Make sure to tell Kat as well as Jack and Ally."

"Will do. Bye!"

"See ya," Bridge said as Syd closed her morpher.

"Well, that takes care of that," Bridge declared to Michelle, sliding the morpher back into his pocket.

"So, what do you want to do until then?" asked Michelle.

"Walk?"

"Works for me, if you do the guiding," Michelle said.


Later, Michelle chose to question Bridge while he was stopping at an ice-cream stall. He came back with a large one, licking around it. She looked at him oddly.

"Do you want one?" he asked.

"What is it?"

"Ice-cream."

"And what's that?"

"Here," Bridge said, leading her back to it, where upon he ordered one for her.

She accepted it hesitatingly.

"Do you do this for everyone?" she asked.

"I do it for my friends," he answered.

They sat down and ate their way through the cold sweet, Michelle having taken a few experimental licks before deciding she quite enjoyed the sweet taste of it.

"Sitting here together like this, one might assume we are in a relationship or something," Michelle said.

"But we aren't."

"I'm just pointing out that someone might think so."

"But we aren't. I'm dating Kat."

"Speaking of which, why is her scent all over you?"

"Whose?"

"My sister's. Kat's."

"Umm, because, we're kind of together?" Bridge hazarded.

"I don't really want to know now," Michelle said, finishing off her treat.

"Okay."

Wiping her mouth with a serviette, Michelle stood up. "Can we move on?"

"Sure thing," said Bridge as his morpher beeped. He pulled it out. "Bridge here."

"Bridge, where are you?" Kat asked.

"At the Mall. Near an ice-cream stall," he answered.

"Is Michelle with you?"

"Yep. Oh and Kat, we're going to be having company for lunch. Syd's choosing the place."

"That's okay. Boom's coming along as well."

"Awesome. The whole gang's here," Bridge said.

"Where are we meeting?"

"Syd hasn't decided yet."

"Fine. Where can Boom and I meet you?"

"How about the entrance to the Mall?"

"See you there, then."

Close to ten minutes later, Kat and Boom met with Bridge and Michelle at the entrance to the Mall, where Syd called, and told them of the place to meet.

"Hey!" Bridge shouted, seeing Kat and Boom first.

They walked over, pushing past large crowds of people.

"Hi Kat," Michelle said as they arrived.

"Hi. This is Boom, my assistant and gadget tester," Kat introduced. "Boom, this is Michelle, my younger sister."

"Hi," Boom said with a small wave.

"Nice to meet you."

"So, should we go to wherever Syd wants us to?" asked Bridge.

"We'd better," Kat agreed.


Within the hour, the whole of B-Squad in its entirety met up, along with Kat, Boom and Michelle. Save for Cruger, who was still busy running the Base, the most prominent figures in the battle against the Troobian Empire and Gruumm were eating a casual lunch together. Conversation proved interesting, as Michelle entertained them about many of Kat's embarrassing moments, much to her chagrin.

"Seriously?" laughed Syd, as chuckles ran throughout them all.

"Completely," answered Michelle, earning another round of laughter.

The meal had finished, and they were merely exchanging talk, but it was an interesting conversation between them all. Conversation took a turn to current matters, with plenty of red faces and laughter as more and more stories between each of them were exchanged.

Even after they left the building, they still stayed together, to head off for an afternoon filled with amusement as they went through the nearest carnival in Newtech, and enjoyed things that they should have stopped taking an interest in years before. None of it mattered as they won prizes (more specifically, Sky and Jack won the majority), went round and around on different rides, screamed until they had no air in their lungs riding rollercoasters, and even took some of the more alien rides. Syd happened to have a camera, from which picture after picture was taken.

Jack and Ally looking terrified at the prospect of a climb. Z clinging onto Sky after coming off a particularly fast rollercoaster ride. Bridge kissing Kat. Michelle and Syd standing together next to a giant, fluffier version of the Megazord. All of them in the same photo. There were a few shots of Kat and Bridge crammed together, laughing, and similar shots of Sky and Z doing the same.

It was late afternoon when Jack and Ally finally bid them goodbye, and headed off. Michelle too went home soon after, with a hug from Kat, and friendly hug from each of them. Z and Sky went their separate way from Kat and Bridge when they entered the Base, and soon after, Kat and Boom had to finish something else as well, leaving Bridge alone. Alone, but happy.

The reports were handed in to Kat's great relief soon after she and Boom had sat down to get more work done. It was the last thing anyone would want to do after a full day with friends, family and lovers, but it was a requirement.

"That was fun. Your sister was a very interesting person," Boom remarked as he looked through the Zord details.

"She is, isn't she?"

"She's the exact opposite of you in some ways: relaxed, outgoing, and some others as well. Not saying that you aren't any of these, it's just that it takes time to get you to show it."

"I know what you mean," Kat said.

They fell silent again as they worked. The bird was gone from her lab at last, Doggie had all the reports on his desk, and essentially, everything was done except for a few things.

"Dr. Manx, please report to the Command Centre," barked Cruger's disembodied voice.

Boom looked at Kat. "What does he want?"

"I don't know," Kat sighed as she got up. "Keep up the work. I won't be long."

"Sure," Boom said.

Kat sighed as the elevator took her up to the Command Centre level. She and Bridge had nothing planned for the night, except a few hours on the piano. It was becoming a regular thing with her now, and she was as used to the keys of the piano as she was to the keys of a computer keyboard. She really looked forward to another session.

The elevator stopped, and a pleasant voice bid her a good night. Striding into the Command Centre, she saw Cruger sitting at his desk, going through the submitted reports.

"Doggie. What is it this time?" Kat asked as she got closer.

"Dr. Manx," he sighed.

That was the first indication that something was wrong. He had an heaviness in his voice that wasn't there when she had talked to him this morning.

"Is there something wrong? With Isinia?" Kat asked. "Or is this about my relationship with Bridge?"

"I wish it could be," Cruger sighed heavily.

Now it was really becoming to worry Kat.

"What is it Doggie?" she insisted.

Cruger looked up at her for the first time, and Kat could have sworn she saw a tear. He handed over an envelope which Kat took.

"Congratulations, Dr. Manx. You've been promoted to Galaxy Command."


A.N: Just as things were going so well, Birdie just has to come and screw everything over!

Hehe, well how did you like the chapter? Was it good? This one was particularly fun to write. Was the first scene too detailed or explicit? I think the bird is starting to become a recurring gag of sorts...

Just a word, two more chapters to go! Not sure how long the next one will take, and I hope that this one was as good as the others in terms of quality!

Now, this didn't take as long as the last one, right? The next chapter will definitely be up by next Wednesday. It's already half done! And on the topic of the next chapter, it'll probably be quite a bit shorter; give or take a thousand to five hundred words shorter. I'm surprised at how well this has worked out!

Remember to leave a review on your way out, and see ya next time!