Disclaimer: Not mine again, we all know that. A timely reminder for all that reviewed my last update and complained about my spelling and punctuation. I am Australian, we use a slightly different English dictionary. All my documents ARE spell checked before posting. So, please enjoy. Angel Mouse, February 2005.

Ars Amatoria Romance Challenge: Bridge/Z - Routine

by Angel Mouse

Routine

Set towards the middle of the series

It was the same routine every morning before breakfast and Z found herself quickly falling into it along with Jack. They would rise at 5.30am - Bridge being dragged out of their room by Sky continuously saying just five more minutes but Sky would be wide awake and not listening to him. Syd would be throwing the curlers out of her hair at the last minute. Jack would stumble out of his room still yawning and Z would bounce along with energy.

The workouts were usually all the same at that hour of the morning. A long run sometimes was first, to warm them up. They then would have some simple weight training. And then the sparring. Jack and Sky always went against each other, working out their differences, and strengths on the mats. Syd and Z would pair up against Bridge or the other way around. It was fun, exciting and honed their skills really well.

And then came the routine of breakfast. Everyone hit the showers - the girls in their room, the boys in theirs - and once they were in clean day uniforms they came out for breakfast. Syd would take forever sometimes pampering herself, but not so much lately Z had noticed. Z would usually wait for her after making sure she was presentable and her hair was neat. They would get to the lunch room and find Sky and Jack already there discussing tactics or some such thing and then soon after that Bridge would come in a large plate of buttery toast. He would set it down in the middle of the table and they would all have a piece if they felt like it but Bridge would eat most of it himself.

After breakfast Bridge would clean up their dishes while Syd and Sky went to train the D Squad cadets. Jack would go to spend time with Kruger learning something or other and Z would be at odds. Sometimes she'd help Syd and Sky, other times she'd go with Jack. But lately, lately she'd been falling into the routine of helping Bridge. They'd clean up and then head to his lab where she'd help him on what ever project or toy or crazy idea he currently was working on. And it became a good, comfortable routine that Z found herself looking forward to more and more each day. She found she was really enjoying spending the time with Bridge and getting to know him better..

And it was all made worth it one morning when out of the blue, while sitting in Bridge's lab, handing him a soldering iron, Bridge suddenly turned to her and gave her a wide, beautiful smile as his hand closed around hers.
"Thanks Z, for helping me. It's made a dull and routine task a lot more enjoyable and fun to have you around." Bridge's smile got even wider. "I might even have to come up with a new routine just for you." With that he winked at her and got back to work.

Sometimes, routines are good things.