Disclaimer: I do not own PRSPD

A/n: Kathleen, Kat's daughter, is from theserese starting with "Let Me Know You"

April Fools Day SPD Style

April Fools day at SPD Earth Station pranks were typically exchanged between the cadets, but Cruger and Kat were typically immune to the fun and games. Until this year, sure Cruger would remain immune, no cadet in the galaxy was that stupid, but Kat would seem fair game!

Two male and one female cadet, Brandon Richards, Z Delgado, and Jack Landers were planning the biggest prank in years, they weren't sure of the target but they figured the old 'bucket of water over the head gag' was the best choice. Then Brandon pointed out the fact that there was a person that hand never had an April Fools prank pulled on them, Kat.

"Listen, you've go to be crazy, D.C. would have our heads if we soaked Kat!" Z said

"She's got a point" Jack said "I don't have a death wish at this point"

"Cowards," Brandon taunted

"Now, Brandon, don't go there!" Jack said in anger

"I have to agree with Jack, if you want to go through with your little plan, you're going to have to do it without us!" Z said flatly.

"Fine, I will," Brandon said in a decided tone that said they couldn't talk him out of it.

Brandon began to wonder how he would do it, and then he got an idea and somehow managed to get Kat to a certain spot in the front entryway area where she would be easy to hit from the open loft above. He had a medium bucket of cold water and waited for Kat to get into position, and he got ready.

Kat stepped out into the open, unaware she was walking into a trap until SPLASH, she was soaked to the skin! She gasped as the water was cold, not ice cold, but cold enough to shock anyone that wasn't expecting it, and probably even one that was expecting it.

Cruger was approaching just as she got soaked, he saw who did it, and so did Sky, who was close enough to grab Brandon

"Cadet Richards, that was uncalled for… we don't mind simple jokes played on the cadets but when you go for the staff I have to tell you that will not be tolerated… it is up to the commander what punishment you get"

Kat was over the shock of that in a few moments and one of the c-level cadets on guard duty had left his post to get a towel for her, and was thanked kindly for his thoughtfulness. Kat went to her quarters to change into dry cloths and Cruger went upstairs to deal with the ranger that had pulled the prank to begin with.

"Cadet Richards, I guess I should have expected this from you, and I have to admit, while you had to be clever to manage to pull a stunt like that on Kat your actions today were completely unacceptable. As punishment you now have night watch for two weeks, and during that time you will lose access to your morphing powers."

Brandon reluctantly handed over his morpher and went to his room to sulk, he couldn't believe he had been stupid enough to get caught; then again, Jack or Z might've typed off Cruger as they thought it wasn't right for him to try that.

After Brandon left, Kat walked into the command center.

"Well, Kat, I take it there was no harm done?" Cruger asked

"None, physically anyway" she said as she walked up to his side

Cruger chuckled at her reaction, that would be rather humiliating for anyone, and Kat was no exemption.

"I can't believe Brandon actually managed to trick me" Kat sighed

"I can, I believe he could trick almost anyone who wasn't familiar with his tricks… that one got past you, but it wouldn't get past, say your daughter, who has worked with him for years" he said "it all boils down to the fact that you don't know him very well"

"I guess you're right, Doggie" she sighed

"This isn't like you Kat," Cruger took a serious look at his old friend, and had to admit she wasn't acting like herself "are you sure you're okay?"

"I'm fine, I just can't figure out how I managed to get fooled so easily"

"Don't dwell on it, this could have happened to anyone" they went into a more private room to talk.

Kat smiled as she looked at her friend, she couldn't believe how long it had been since he saved her life.

"It doesn't seem like it's been almost twenty-three years since we met, does it?" she asked.

"Not really, then again, to us that amount of time doesn't seem that long"

"True, but can you imagine the ranger's reaction to that?"

"I don't even want to think about that" Cruger dismissed quickly

"Me either" Kat agreed "they would definitely make a big deal out of it"

Cruger knew that Kat never really liked for anyone to make a big deal over her, that was why the cadets weren't told when her birthday was as they would put together a party for her, and that wasn't what she truly wanted.

Cruger watched as Kat leaned against the wall as she thought back on what they had seen together, and she couldn't believe what all they had been through together and what they had seen.

"I guess we should consider ourselves lucky to have been friends this long" she said

"What makes you say that?" Cruger asked

"Think about it, you hear all the time from the cadets how they get into arguments with their friends and suddenly they aren't talking anymore…" Kat sighed and moved from against the wall to stand beside Cruger as they looked out the window.

"I guess we are" Cruger agreed "but I think what's kept us together so long is that we do try and work things out."

"Most of the time" Kat said "but we have fought a couple of times"

"Yes, but it never ruined our friendship" Cruger said and put his arm around her shoulders. Kat didn't know what to think, she just turned so she could rest her head against his shoulder and felt his arm tighten around her a bit and his hand moved from her shoulder to her waist. She was a bit surprised to feel his hand move to her waist; she didn't let him know how much that surprised her, but he realized it anyway.

They didn't know that Jack had found a good vantage point to watch and hear everything that happened between the commander and Kat.

"Oh, Snap, I would've never seen this coming" he whispered in excitement as he saw the live security feed from that particular room in the base.

Sky walked up and saw what Jack watching

"You do know this could get you in serious trouble" Sky scolded

"I know, but look at them!" Jack replied

"Whoa, now that I wouldn't have believed if I didn't see it with my own eyes"

"Me either" Jack said

Kat, by this time, had relaxed and become comfortable with the way Cruger held her near himself, and Jack and Sky could tell that there was more than a friendship between there commander and Kat.

Kat was silent as she savored the moments she got to be close to him, she didn't know if or when she'd get another chance to be that close to him. She didn't think that there would be another day that she would get the chance to be that close to the commander and she wanted to be able to remember how it felt to be held by him.

Brandon somehow managed to break into Kat's living quarters that evening while she was spending some time with Cruger and it took him only a few moments to discover her jewelry box and go through it and steal her wedding set, blue sapphire and opal tennis bracelet that the commander had given her, and her favorite watch that had been an anniversary present from her late husband.

He left just before Kat went to her quarters to get her watch as she had forgotten to put it back on when she changed cloths and noticed her jewelry box was standing wide open, the contents strewn haphazardly all over the table.

"Oh, no" she whispered

To be Continued…

Pls. note that all flames will be redirected at the nearest hurricane.