Disclaimer: The usual. Don't own anything you recognize.

KINGS AND VAGABONDS

By Etcetera Kit

Chapter Sixteen: Unbelieving II

The sun was setting casting a golden glow over the field that was the proverbial backyard of the academy. The playground was out here and one could make out the track in the distance and other training fields that the cadets used. Squad leaders sometimes brought their squads here for meetings or group training.

Conner smiled to himself. He had brought his squad here on a few occasions - mostly when they had to work on trust exercises. He knew a few of those from when he had been an active soccer player - things like human knots, sitting in a circle while in each other's laps and things that involved blindfolds. Lately, there hadn't been a need to do those kinds of exercises, since the others had managed to pair off into relationships. He thought to Kira and the fledgling relationship they had - how it never progressed beyond casual kisses, because he was afraid for it to. Kira was patient, but he didn't know how much longer any of it could last. He was a coward - he had been a coward back in high school and he was a coward now.

"Kick the ball, Daddy!"

He grinned, throwing the soccer ball up into the air and then using his head to knock it down the field to where Madeline and Christina were. Christina was running around like a crazed Tasmanian devil, trying to get to the ball before her sister. Madeline was still, her eyes never leaving the smooth arch the ball cut through the air. She had learned a long time ago that stealth required concentration, not immediate action. Madeline would have the soccer ball in her possession before Christina was even sure what had happened. She might have been the quieter one of the two girls, but she was the one more suited to sports.

The prediction had been correct. Christina kept running in a predictable pattern, while Madeline stood still, cutting to the ball at the last minute. She grounded it easily and dribbled it over to the makeshift goal. Not bad for a nine-year-old.

"Hey!" Christina squawked.

"It was fair," Conner told her, stopping any forthcoming protesting about the unfairness of the situation and life in general. Christina was a drama queen - and it was obvious where that particular trait came from. He saw a lot of himself in Madeline, but could see so much of his ex-wife in Christina - sometimes that frightened him.

Madeline caught the ball and turned to him. She didn't make noise, but there was a huge grin of triumph on her small face and her hazel eyes were alight with joy. Conner returned the smile, jogging over to the pair of them. Madeline, at least, knew how much he missed playing soccer. He had given it up in light of the divorce, ignoring the fact that a couple of teams would want him for a coach. It had been a self-inflicted punishment, not allowing himself to have the game that he had loved.

"Good," he told her, wishing that SPD had sports teams for the kids. It had everything but sports. The students and cadets were expected to enroll in the SPD-training programs if they wanted to do something physical. He would volunteer to coach some junior-sports teams if he had a more predictable schedule.

"Hey!"

He turned towards the familiar voice as Madeline picked up the ball. Kira was striding across the field to them, still dressed in her teachers' clothes. She had a soft smile on her face. Something inside Conner clenched at the same time that something unclenched.

"Hi Miss Kira!" Christina called, trying to get Madeline off guard enough to drop the soccer ball. However, Madeline expected that and just hoisted the ball higher and out of her sister's reach.

"Hi guys," she replied, closing the space between herself and Conner and kissing his cheek. "I was wondering if you guys had any plans for tonight," she said in an undertone so that only he could hear it.

"What did you have in mind?" he asked with a smile.

"I think there's a movie that the girls would like."

"Or is it a movie you want to see, but need a cover story for?"

Kira grinned, planting a light kiss on his lips. "It's the kind of movie I would have dragged you to in high school just so you would be horrified, never mind the cover story."

Conner returned the smile, before turning to the girls. "You guys want to go see a movie tonight?" he asked them.

Madeline nodded, while Christina turned and stopped jumping up to the soccer ball. "Yah!" his youngest daughter shrieked.

"You wanted to take them," Conner whispered to Kira.

The kiss on his cheek and heel in his foot was response enough.

"Somehow, it doesn't surprise me that you have eccentric relatives."

Syd tried not to smile in a self-satisfied way. The 'cabin' was more of a manor house in the middle of nowhere. The backdoors opened up to a large backyard with a sparkling lake. The sun came up over the lake - she and the twins had come here when they were younger and on family vacations. Aunt Rose was definitely handy to have around in situations like this. It was still slightly amazing that they had pulled this off - even with the intervention from Conner and the possible interference that Kat must have run.

Z was leaning against the granite counter in the kitchen, while Bridge was poking around the refrigerator, through the food that all of them had just put in there. Syd shrugged in response to the question. It wasn't quite worth it to argue about the oddness of her family.

"I have thought that was Bridge," Z continued.

Bridge resurfaced from the fridge. "My family is normal and boring."

"Figures," Z muttered.

She glanced from the kitchen through the arch that opened into the living room. Sky was sitting on the couch, fiddling with his morpher. Syd smiled, pushed herself off the counter and went into the room. She sat down on the couch next to Sky.

"Can't let go for one weekend?"

He glanced at her and glared. "I've just got a bad feeling about this."

Syd laughed and playfully punched his arm. "Bridge is the one that is supposed to have the bad feelings about things - not you."

"Very funny." He paused. "I think we should contact Conner to make sure that everything is all right."

"He's probably at the movies by now," Syd argued. "If you're paranoid then call Paris. She's probably taking the standby because it amuses her."

Sky continued to glare until she kissed his cheek. His expression went from anxious to embarrassed in one motion. His cheeks flushed pink when Z produced an impressive catcall from the kitchen.

"Lighten up!" she whispered in his ear.

He went back to glaring. A few weeks ago, he might have just gotten up and walked out of the room, but he stayed. Syd grinned at him, threading one hand through his and taking his morpher away from him with the other. She set it on the coffee table and gave him a sidelong look. He returned the glance, his blue eyes holding a mixture of amusement and annoyance. At least his eyes didn't get glazed when he listened to her talk - her last boyfriend had done that when she started talking about clothes. Sky just listened - whether or not he had any idea what she was talking about was debatable.

"It's going to bother you if you don't check in, isn't it?"

Sky nodded. Syd laughed and threw his morpher at him. He caught it in a fumbling gesture uncharacteristic for him and opened it, punching a button for communication. "Sky to Paris," he said into it. "Just checking in."

"Go away, Tate," Paris' voice came over the morpher. "I got this for now."

"What are you doing?" Syd asked her.

"Deciding whether I should wear red or pink nail polish with my new dress."

"Does it matter? Aren't all your dresses black?" Sky asked. Syd elbowed him in the ribs. He winced and rubbed his ribs, but didn't say anything.

"Good joke," Paris replied dryly. "Just go back to amusing yourselves this weekend, because that's what I'm going to do. Over and out." The communication line on the morpher shut down.

"See? No problem."

Sky sighed. "I guess."

Syd smiled again and snuggled up against him. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders, holding her close. She knew why Bridge and Z wanted to come up here for the weekend - and it wasn't entirely to get some rest. She and Z had accosted Paris earlier that week, asking her what she thought about them 'stepping up the relationship with their boyfriends.' Her older sister's only response had been that it was a decision that they had to make on their own. She couldn't help them.

It had taken a lot of internal debating, but Syd had decided to wait. Sky knew that and didn't seem to mind - not that he would have dared express anything to the contrary. She had a feeling he was just as scared as she was, but wouldn't show it. Bridge and Z, on the other hand… It would be Bridge's first time - that much was obvious, but Z had been unclear about what her life on the streets had been like. Syd was pretty much convinced that she had spent some of that time as a prostitute.

Not that it mattered, each of them would do what he or she felt was the best thing to do and there was nothing that could change that.

The sun had set over the lake, giving the water a golden glow. It had looked unreal compared to the green trees, grass and brown 'beach'. Now, the sky had turned an inky, midnight blue, studded with brilliant stars. A cool breeze came over the water, causing them to open the windows instead of turning on the environmental controls the cabin had. It was the perfect night…

Z let that thought trail off. She always had images of what a perfect night would be like, but, somehow, Bridge didn't factor into it. Bridge - sweet, innocent, naïve, Bridge. He had a huge heart and wanted to make everyone around him happy. He counted Krybots - incorrectly most of the time. He was organized chaos personified - something that drove Sky nuts considering their roommate status. He was just… Bridge. There was no other way to describe. He charmed his way into her heart, but this was unknown territory for both of them. He had no experience and she was used to being nothing more than a body.

Was he ready for them to become lovers? Was she ready for them to become lovers? Could this experience transcend the purely physical? She hadn't been able to dream for such a long time and all the dreams of a little girl had swamped her once she joined SPD. SPD meant safety, a bed, warmth, food - the things she had been missing since she was six years old. Perhaps it was all she cared about, so she didn't question Cruger, didn't want to rock the boat because she was afraid of having it all taken away from her.

She pushed herself from the window and turned to Bridge. He was pouring over the computer magazine he had in the car, since he insisted on reading those things from cover to cover each issue. The turning of each page was awkward with the thick, leather gloves that he wore almost all the time. Z's smile turned into a frown.

Had Cruger even considered that Bridge might be able to go without gloves? If he could learn to block out things, only letting images into his consciousness when he wanted, then he could be a normal person, or almost a normal person, without the gloves that signified immediately that he was different. All the rest of them - Syd, Sky, herself, Conner, Kira - they could fit into the rest of society without anyone noticing. But Bridge… so many rumors had been started about him and his powers.

"Bridge?"

He glanced up from the magazine, so aware of her presence that it didn't startle him like it might have a few weeks ago. "What's up?" he asked, looking curious.

"Have you ever considered going without gloves?"

His blue eyes widened into thought and surprise. "No," he replied carefully. "My training was always about using my powers as a weapon." Bridge shrugged. "When I was younger, it was just easier, rather than let all the emotions and images in. I never stopped."

"Do you think you could block them out on your own, without the gloves?"

Z had never seen Bridge look so… confused. He always had a slightly lost, puzzled air about him, but he never looked downright confused. She crossed the room to him and took the magazine out of his hands. The confusion and slight fear didn't leave his eyes. Taking a deep breath, she pulled at the Velcro on his right hand, tugging the thick leather off of his hand and throwing it to the floor. She did the same for his left hand. Surprisingly, his hands were soft and didn't have the look of being in gloves all the time. He must have done something to prevent that… Her thumbs caressed the palm of his right hand, bringing it up so that her cheek rested on his hand.

Bridge let out a shaky gasp. "What's wrong?" she whispered.

"You've been hurt," he whispered, unshed tears glistening in his eyes. "You never told me that you had been hurt before." There was no accusation in his words.

"It's past," she replied. "Are you reading my mind?"

"No." He paused. "It's something on the surface, like reading a book and not diving into the page." He produced another shaky breath. "That's the only difference, because all your other emotions match mine. Z…" Her name was barely a whisper as he wrapped his free arm around her waist. "I won't hurt you," he murmured.

"You couldn't hurt anyone."

"That's not true," he said insistently. "I hurt my parents when I refused to come home after joining SPD." His adopted parents… the word adopted was unspoken, but there. "But I won't hurt you."

There should have been anger and bitterness in his words, but there wasn't. He was afraid and guilty for things that had happened in his past. Perhaps that contributed to his willingness to please now - he didn't want to feel guilty anymore. The irony there was that he shouldn't feel guilty about what happened.

Z?

She smiled. He had drifted into her mind - she felt nothing. Now she understood why Cruger thought he could make Bridge a weapon. He could read minds if he was physically touching a person.

I thought Sky was the only person you did this to.

It was an accident at first - then he got used to it. It was a way of communicating without thinking people were eavesdropping.

This is pretty intimate.

Bridge shrugged. Now you know why I consider Sky my brother. I know everything about him - literally.

He pulled her close, his lips grazing her temple. Can I see into your mind if we're connected like this?

She didn't see him shake his head, but felt it. No. It's a one-way thing. I can see into your mind and the extent of the communication is that we can carry on a conversation. Believe me - Sky's tried to read my mind.

Does Cruger know about this?

Bridge was silent - and it was answer enough. Cruger didn't know that Bridge could carry on a conversation with the person whose mind he was in - and probably didn't know the details of what went on. He couldn't do what Cruger wanted, so the other aspects of his power were ignored in favor of the ones that could become a weapon.

Can we make love like this?

He shrugged again. It doesn't take much energy to enter your mind and talk - and I might lose the connection if my energy has to go other places.

Z smiled and shifted so that she could plant a light kiss on his lips. We can try. I want to do this with someone I love.

You love me?

Of course I love you - I wouldn't have pushed this otherwise.

I guess it's a good thing that I love you too.

Her smile grew wider as she realized that that might be the last coherent thought passed between them for a few hours.

It was odd. He had never before envisioned himself going without gloves. The scenario had been that he became a senior citizen still wearing gloves and promising to never have children so that they would be forced to come to SPD, since his children would most likely have the kind of superpowers that he had. Now… he wanted to try. He wanted to see if he could blend into the rest of society as a normal human being.

Z shifted against him. A smile drifted over his face as he tightened his arm around her. The last few hours were a blur of sensations, but it had blown his mind into a smoking void. Never before had he been without something to say, especially, since he rambled about anything that came to mind. He had always wanted to cover the silence and cover his thoughts. Her skin was warm against his and, for the first time, the thoughts that should have been plaguing him had faded to a buzz in the background.

He glanced at Z's necklace lying on the nightstand. It seemed like such a long time ago that she had asked him to touch her baby blanket. He had to sift through the recent images to the oldest ones, the ones that were faded into nothing more than emotion. An intense love had shone through on that blanket, underneath all the pain and sorrow that had touched it.

Brushing one finger against the necklace, the normal waves of pain, sorrow, fear, joy and other emotions rushed through him. He closed his eyes and dived through the layers that covered the item, going back to when it was new, when it had been given to Z. Pride, love and joy came through, as it had with the blanket.

"Bridge?"

"Hmmm?" He pulled his hand from the necklace and tucked a stray strand of Z's hair behind her ear. She shifted again, the sheets rustling, so that she could get closer to him.

"Think Sky and Syd are having as much fun as we are?"

He laughed. "Good joke."

"I thought you said he was your brother."

Bridge thought for a moment. "We are. A long time ago, I stayed with Sky and his dad for a little while." He paused. "Neither of them talk about it, because they think I don't remember, but I do remember a little of it. I remember being loved and feeling safe - and dinosaur shaped grilled cheese sandwiches."

Z laughed. "Sky's dad isn't as tough as he seems." She paused. "Remember that Parent Weekend right after I had joined? Sky was the only one of us whose parents showed up."

"I remember. His dad and his dad's girlfriend came." Bridge smiled to himself. "According to Sky, they've been hanging out since he was five."

"It's so weird that he's the most uptight out of all of us and he's the one that has a normal family and a normal childhood."

"A lot of him being uptight comes from his drive to succeed. He's had a lot of weird breaks in his time at SPD." He shrugged. "I mean he's never been rollerblading, but he and his dad go backpacking every summer."

Z was silent for a moment. "Do you ever think that we'll find our real families and have something like that?"

"I don't know. I know that our real parents loved us so much, but we ended up in group homes and with adopted families anyways. We're all connected, but we just don't know how we're connected."

"It might be the most obvious thing," she said with a yawn.

"Like what?"

"I don't know," she echoed him, snuggling close. Her breathing became rhythmic and he knew that she was asleep once more. Bridge settled against the pillow. What was the most obvious thing? SPD. No - it couldn't be that. It was too obvious. Cruger might be a little paranoid, but he wasn't that paranoid, was he? He fell back asleep, drifting into darkness without dreams.

To Be Continued...

Author's Note: Doo dee doo... What to say? Thanks to Kaidence Ledger for, as she put it, "beta fishing fire engine red or passion pink." (Long story involving changing title names for this section...) I think I shall do reviewer responses for those who were awesome and reviewed chapter 15 (though I believe it is 16 in the grand scheme of things.) Lots of smileys for all!

Anastasia Athene - Don't feel bad! I know I'm terrible about keeping up with reviews:) Thanks for all your kind words and encouragement. I do like Conner and Paris' interaction myself. It reminds me of so many people I know...

BloomingViolets - About time:) I'm glad you like what's going on with Sky/Syd and the progress that Sky and Conner are making. Sky is one of my favorites, especially during this piece. Of course you get to read about the weekend trip! And I'm really glad that you like Paris. It was difficult putting her and Austin in the piece and putting them on the same level as everyone else. I'm updating as soon as I can:)

Christina Gomez - Thanks! Keep on reading:)

Funky In Fishnet - Well, people are getting closer to things they weren't supposed to find... but I won't say what or when. :) Thanks for your kind words and don't worry about sounding like a broken record. It doesn't bother me in the least:)

garnetred - Well, the race is on to see who will figure it out first:) Thanks for reviewing and reading!

Giannola - But will Conner remember in time? Only time can tell! Thanks for your kind words:)

juzblue - If Conner and Kira can put two and two together before someone else... :) Thanks for all your kind words!

Samurai-Nashie - Thanks! I'm trying to update on a more regular basis.

Weesta - Don't worry, I'm not going to kill anyone off in this story. (And there's an interesting story behind why I killed Dustin off in Restless Warriors... too long to relate here.) Sky is one of my favorite characters and the one I relate to the most. I'm glad you like what I'm doing with his character! And thanks for all your kind words and encouragement:)