Disclaimer: All rights of the series seaQuest and their characters belong to someone else and therefore I make no money with this story.

Author: Yury Julian

Translated by Anarore Thank you very much for your help!

Short Story No. 1

Startled, Lucas looked up from the packing box. In his opinion it was still too early for visitors to his new apartment. The doorbell rang again. Whoever it was, he would have to leave again. The flatwarming party certainly wouldn't take place when his friends wanted, but when he wanted.

Lucas shuffled to the door to open it. He looked at the visitor, surprised. He had expected anyone or anything, just not:

"Dad?"

Instinctively he opened the door wider und let the scientist come in. Dr. Wolenczak looked around the empty hall intently. "I just wanted to make sure you are getting along fine on your own?"

Lucas knitted his brow and shut the door. "I am. But I thought we had alreadysorted that out, remember?"

Lawrence turned around. "Yes, right. Your mother was just worried. We called each other a lot in the past few days and we just wanted to be sure. I was able to come because I am working here close by for the next few days."

"Ah, coincidently, for sure." Lucas turned to his living room. "As you can see, I'm no skeleton and I only just moved in yesterday. I can't have done much wrong yet." He knelt down on the floor und continued unpacking his things from the box.

"And you really are fine?"

"Yes", Lucas answered the question, annoyed.

"Do you need anything else? Do you need money?", Dr. Wolenczak asked, already pulling out his wallet.

Insulted, Lucas looked up at his father. "Do you really think that you can make things right with money? I don't need anything! In case you hadn't noticed, I have work und earn my own money."

"I know, but I see you have hardly any furniture. You want to feel at home here, don't you?" Dr. Wolenczak calmly continued counting out notes.

Lucas felt like tearing his hair out. "You don't understand a thing! I'm more often on the seaQuest than anywhere else. I don't want any money from you or Mum or anyone! I'm just tired of hoping for a couple of days to spend with my parents before every shore leave. In the end I'm just a burden to you. It was a nuisance for me to be sent from one of you to the other and I then always ended up in a hotel."

Lucas had shouted the last part into his father's face. He was angry at the attitude he showed towards him. It wasn't the behavior of a worried father, as he knew it from Bridger. No, this only showed him again how tiresome he was to his father.

The reaction hit home. Dr. Wolenczak put his wallet down. Slowly he knelt down in front of Lucas and looked him carefully in the eye.

"What I need is a father, not a financier", Lucas said after a moment's silence.

"Do you want to pay your own rent now aswell?"

"Don't start reproaching me! My existence isn't my fault! It should have been clear to you and Mum what would come upon you when you decided for me! I too have needs and they just happen to be bigger than those of any normal employee. In case you or Mum still hadn't noticed, I am your son and have been for eighteen years!"

Lucas hadn't meant to be that direct but the words just came gushing out. He could hardly control himself anymore and was watching the scene more out of the eyes of an onlooker. It was as if he had left his body and someone else had taken his place.

"Lucas", Dr. Wolenczak sighed and sat down onthe carpet. He took the teenager's right hand and held it tight. "I know this is hard for you. You are not a burden to me or your mother! We care very much about you. Of course we don't see you as an employee, whatever it was that made you think that."

"I would ask myself the same thing if I were you", Lucas hissed angrily.

Dr. Wolenczak pulled Lucas into a tight embrace. "I understand that you are angry, but I don't have the time for you that you need or would like to have. The work I do doesn't allow that, unfortunately."

If Lucas hadn't been half-starved for parent love, he surely would have freed himself from his father's hug by now.

"Have you calmed yourself again?", the scientist asked after a few minutes.

Lucas sat down again and nodded silently. Lawrence ran his hand through his son's hair and brushed away some blond strands that had fallen over his face. "If you can't manage, then we can change that quickly."

"That's not necessary. The apartment is super and I can manage. There's no need for any concern." Frightened, he looked at his father. "Do I have to pay my rent now?"

Lawrence smiled warmly. "No, of course not. Unfortunately I can't give you enough of what you want but if you should get any problems or if you need anything, then you can come to me. Or to your mother! You should know that."

Lucas nodded again, silently. He started on the money subject again. "Can I have a big flat-screen TV?"

Dr. Wolenczak laughed, amused. "Your mother and I didn't raise you as a spoilt, nouveau riche child. The answer is no. You have quite a good television, I see. But I can leave you something if you don't want to reject it after all."

"I would prefer if you didn't talk to me in the way of bribery, as if it were perfectly natural.", said Lucas and began to unpack the rest of the books from the box.

"But you would take the television right away?"

"Well, you can buy me a computer if you don't like the idea of a TV."

The scientist got up. "I think you have enough in the way of computers." His eyes didn't just coincidentally fall on the equipment on the table, which hadn't exactly been cheap. That had certainly been unpacked first.

"Then I don't need anything. I just have to unpack a few more things, other than that I have everything I need." Lucas looked around the living room. "Apart from a great television."

"Shall I help you with the rest?"

"No," Lucas shook his head. "I'll manage this little bit. You have to go somewhere, surely. It's better if you take care of your appointments. But you can give me Mum's new number. Her new boyfriend is refusing to give it to me."

Dr. Wolenczak frowned. "You don't have your own mother's number?"

"Ehm, let me think... no! Her darling Stevy can't stand me, therefore he puts himself between us. Successfully, as you can see. I'm not surprised that she sent you here and didn't come herself. When I was in Stanford, she came more often. After three months at the latest she appeared on the campus and asked about my well-being."

Lawrence shook his head. "Should he ever come too close to you, then tell me", he demanded, and looked through his notebook for the new office number of his divorced wife. "I can only be glad that I don't meet Cynthia that often any more, or else I might have met him too."

"Believe me, you don't want to meet him!"

Finally, the scientist found the number. "Your mother told me she would like to talk to you. Ring her at her office, hopefully her new boyfriend won't be there. I never ring her private number, exactly because of possible lovers."

"I should try going along that track." Lucas took the number from him. "Thanks."

"If you have any problems, then let me know. I'm in this part of town until the weekend. I'll e-mail you and tell you the name of the hotel I'm staying in." He gave Lucas a kiss on the forehead. "I love you, don't you forget that. You're not just all the same to us."

"Stevy!"

"He doesn't count! You are my son and not that of any guy who turns up. If he attacks you or harms you, I'll sue him so much he'll need five lives to recover!"

His father couldn't have said it better. Lucas already began to think up mean plans on how he could get rid of Stevy the easiest way. A content smile spread over his lips. Maybe soon there would be a possibility.

"I have to go now", Dr. Wolenczak said, hugged Lucas and left him alone in his own apartment.. at least for two hours, because afterwards the seaQuest colleagues turned up. Some things just got around too fast.

THE END

written: April 2006

translated: 30/05/06