Morning Dew
Cruger walked outside of the academy, wanting to watch the sunrise. He heard soft breathing and slowly crept towards the sound. He saw Z lying on the ground staring at the sunrise herself.
"Its beautiful," she sighed to herself.
"It certainly is," he agreed. She squirmed at hearing her commander, closing her eyes and gritting her teeth. "Might I ask what you're doing out here, Cadet?" She stood up slowly and faced him.
"Commander, I... I... I come out here every morning to watch the sunrise," Z sighed, telling him the truth.
"Why can't you watch it from your room?" he asked curiously.
"Why can't you?" she retorted. He growled, but had to admit she had a point. "I mean... Syd snores too loud; it takes away all the calmness and sereneness out of watching the sunrise." He sat on his knees on the dewed grass, nodding at the memory of taking Syd on the road trip a few years back and her loud snoring as she slept in the car.
"Sit down, Cadet," he ordered. Z sat next to him, Indian style, staring at him with curiosity. "Z, I have a few questions."
"Ask away, DC," she said.
"One... Your communicator?" he started. She pulled it out of her pocket and showed him. He looked at it. "At least you're taking care of yourself. Two... Are you always dressed like that when you come out here?" He motioned to her yellow sweatpants and gray shirt that said SPD in yellow; she even still had her hair in a messy ponytail.
"Normally I change clothes, Sir. Syd talked to me until two AM this morning, so I was too tired to change this morning," she explained with a yawn at the end, covering her mouth. She rubbed her eyes and sighed.
"C'mere, Cadet," he said, opening his arms in an embrace. She fell into his arms, trying not to fall asleep. He then realized how completely soaked she was from the dewing grass. She shivered in his arms. "Z, is it too cold? Would you like to go inside?"
"No," she replied. He rubbed her arms to make her warmer. She placed her head on his chest and started to cry. "Commander, why? Why us? What have we done to deserve our pain?" He closed his eyes as he held to search for the answer to her question. He opened his eyes and looked at the Latino girl in his arms.
"It's your destiny, Cadet Delgado," he told her. "It was meant to happen. It's supposed to happen." She nodded against his chest, but kept on crying. She wiped her eyes and a comfortable silence floated in the air.
"Commander?" Z questioned, finally filling in the silence.
"Hmmmm," Cruger said.
"Thank you," she said.
"For what?" he asked, shifting himself so they were both comfortable.
"Everything! For SPD! My second chance..." she started.
"Z, I think I've given you more then a second chance," he chuckled. She nodded, smiling. She sat up and looked into his grayish-blue eyes with her dark brown orbs. She leaned in and kissed his cheek.
"You're right," she said, leaning against him again and looked at out the sunrise. He looked down at the teenage girl in his arms and smiled a little. Z would finally have the happily ever after she had told them about and it started with morning dew.