Disclaimer: Not mine, wish they were. This was a little plot bunny that ambushed me when I watched Sam and Stakeout again. I noticed that Bridge never, ever takes his gloves off except when he's using his powers. And that he's never without long sleeves except for when he's in his lab, room or the ready room. So, I wondered why he was like that and then when he said it was hard growing up different that's when this hit me. So, here's a little Bridge POV about his feelings and my take on why he's always wearing gloves. So, read and review please. Angel Mouse, April 2005.

People look at me and see the smile, the weird traits, and the strange way of talking and dismiss me out of hand. They see the goofy smile, the whacky ways and think 'Oh, it's just Bridge' and ignore me.

They don't see me.

I look around me and see things that I can never, ever have and it rips the hole in my soul even wider. I see Kat pat Boon's hand to say good work. I see Z and Jack high five each other when they have had some fun or did something good in a fight. I see the lingering touches that Sydney does to Sky sometimes when she thinks no one is watching. All this I see knowing that I can never, ever feel the warmth of someone's skin against mine.

With my gift, every time I touch someone I see their soul. Their hopes and dreams, their feelings and emotions and their entire lives really. And it's just too much. It fills my brain with images and life experiences that aren't mine. And sometimes it gets hard to tell what's mine and what's someone else's.

Do you know I've got over a hundred peoples lives and experiences floating around in my head? And my friends wonder why sometimes I'm a little strange.

So, when my parents finally figured out what my gift was, the damage was already done. My mind was already trying to cope with an over load of information and images that it didn't understand at such a young age. So then I began my permanent exile from the human race really. And my prison is a pair of black leather gloves.

You see, I'm a psychic.

My psychic powers vary in subtle ways. I can track people's psychic signatures. I can read their aura's and see what emotions they are feeling. But when my bare hands touch someone's skin my full powers come into play. I can almost read the person's mind. Their whole life pushes its way into my mind and there's nothing I can do to stop it. It overwhelms me and will take me sometimes days to get over the experience and sort things out in my mind.

And my friends wonder why sometimes I'm a little strange.

None of them know the depth of how much I miss the feel of someone's skin against mine. Of being able to walk down a street with someone's hand in mine. Of being able to reach up and run my hand along someone's face and gently kiss them on the lips. All of those experiences I will never know because any touch of my skin activates my powers.

So I wear the gloves all the time. When I go out in public, off base, I make sure I wear long sleeved shirts and trousers. Really the only time I can wear t-shirts or anything is when I'm in my room or my lab or on the base somewhere, with the guys. They all know not to touch me without my permission.

We all have our gifts, but none of theirs are as isolating as mine.

So I hide behind my smile, my goofy manner, my strange ways. I hide my pain and my hopes and fears. I hide myself behind my gloves.

You see, I can look, but never, ever touch.