The Replacements- 10

I walked into the cafeteria the next morning and sat down by myself in a booth. My eggs were a little runny, but other than that, the breakfast tasted pretty good. Let's face it…it's hard to mess up breakfast.

I could hear the footsteps of my comrades coming up behind me. I shuttered to think what they were going to say to me after last night.

"Good morning, Mark!" Tiny said cheerfully, as he slid into the seat opposite me.

"Aren't you up and at 'em a little early today, Skip?" Jason questioned me with his usual sly grin slinking across his face.

I casually sipped my coffee. "No earlier than usual. You bums overslept."

Tiny elbowed Jason. They had obviously had a little discussion about me.

I was just thankful they were going easy on me.

"So what are you and Princess going to work on this morning?" Jason took a bite of toast and grinned.

My eyebrows knit together. I didn't like that smug look. "I'm going to run her through the usual paces, the simulator, and teach her the two-man pyramid."

"Aha…the pyramid." Jason nodded. "You think she's ready?"

"As ready as she'll ever be…" I continued. "I figured it might not be so intimidating if she just started with me. We'll work our way into full group sessions."

"Whatever you do, don't look up, Mark...you might get an eyefull..."
Tiny took a bite of his sausage link, and then sputtered and choked. He quickly placed the link back down on his plate and tried to hold back a giggle.

Jason elbowed him hard.

I tried my best to ignore him. "Anyway, you two haven't had a good sparring match in a while. Why don't you go down to the gym and train this morning?"

"Good idea, Mark…" Tiny added. "Jason needs a good thrashing."

We finished our breakfast hastily, all wondering why Princess hadn't shown up. I decided to go look for her. I prayed she wasn't still asleep.

88888888888888888

I knocked on her bedroom door timidly. No answer. Either she was a heavy sleeper or…

The door swung open as I began to knock again. The bed was perfectly made, the room…neat as a pin. There was no sign of her.

I walked down to Anderson's office. Maybe he'd know where she disappeared to.

Anderson looked up at me as I appeared in the doorway.

"Something you need, Mark?" He asked.

"No…well, yes, I…I was looking for Princess. Have you seen her?" I stammered. Here it was, my second day as Commander, and I had already lost a team member.

Anderson's glasses were down at the tip of his nose as he regarded me. I must've looked like an idiot.

"Have you tried the island? I know she likes to meditate with the sunrise." He answered casually. "Going to work with her now?"

"Yes. Thank you, Sir." I grinned. Then, I turned and headed up for the island to find Princess.

88888888888888888888888888888

I found her sitting in the sand, barefoot, legs crossed, eyes closed and the wind blowing through that magnificent ebony mane of hers. I was afraid to say anything. It was so peaceful. All I could hear was the wind whipping by my face, and the waves crashing on the beach.

She must've felt my presence, because her eyes suddenly opened. She looked at me and smiled.

"Oh, hello, Commander. Am I late?" She gasped. "I'm so sorry! It was just so peaceful and…"

I held my hands up to stop her. "No. I just finished breakfast. The Chief told me you'd be here."

I slipped my hands in my pockets and looked out over the scenery. "So, do you do this every morning?"

She nodded and pulled a strand of hair away from her face. Her clear, green eyes reflected the waves. "Yes. Meditation helps me get through the day. It just sets things right, y'know?"

I nodded and grunted a response.

She patted the sand next to her and motioned for me to sit down. "Wanna try it?"

"Sure. I'm game." I sat down next to her and crossed my legs.

"Kick your shoes off. Get comfortable." She admonished. "Just clear your mind of everything and relax."

"Ok." I sat next to her in the sand…listening…relaxing…enjoying just being with her. I could see why she enjoyed it so much.

"Ahhh!" The peaceful moment was disrupted by a scream. Then I felt it, too.

Evidently, while we were meditating, the tide was coming in. We were both soaked to the skin.

We looked at each other and started laughing.

"So much for meditation!" I chuckled. "We need to go in and work out anyway. You ready?"

She stood up, dripping water and sand everywhere. "I'm ready. The question is…are you ready for me?" She grinned and held out a hand to help me up. I grinned back at her and took her hand. I didn't want to let go.

Once I was standing, she awkwardly pulled her hand away and changed the subject. "I'll …I'll just go get changed and meet you in the gym."

"Make that the simulation room…in birdstyle, and you're on!" I grinned. I was really looking forward to this.