It was embarrassing. Maybe even more than the time that Bridge walked in on her naked, and that, had been awkward. Conversation had been strained for days after that event, and sometimes she still caught sideway glances from him.

Z was staring at her.

Syd was staring back.

Could the ground be any slower at swallowing her whole?

"You are serious."

"Um." Syd shrugged. "I plead the fifth?"

"I mean... wow, Syd. I really didn't see it coming. You and him? He's like..."

Syd bristled, and a frown slipped into place. "Watch it, Z."

"I always figured you'd end up with Bridge."

"Bridge?" Syd's nose wrinkled. "He's... well..."

"Like me and Jack? Siblings?" Z suggested. A grin lingered around Z's lips as Syd gave an energetic nod. Maybe a little too energetic. "OK. I get it."

Syd leaned back on her bed, legs stretched out in front of her. She stared up at the white ceiling and counted the glow-in-the-dark stars that littered the surface. "Don't tell him, though. I think I'd offend him."

"Offend him?" Z looked startled. "How could you offend him?"

"Sky has his future already mapped out. I don't have a place in it. I think he'd get mad if I disrupted it."

Z thought about the Sky she knew. His life had already been disrupted since she and Jack had joined the team. Would he really object to a little bit more?

"Sky might surprise you."

And she was right. Syd already knew that. He'd surprised her since the moment they'd met.

"I'm... kinda famous." Syd ignored the "no, duh" expression on Bridge's face. She concentrated on her other new teammate's expression. He didn't look phased in the least. "Famous, you? You don't look that important to me, Miss Drew." It was almost a scoff.

"Syd. Call me Syd."

"Sydney." A long pause. "I'm Sky."