Hope everyone had a Happy Thanksgiving. This is just a little fluff piece in honor of the holiday, so it wasn't beta-ed. Enjoy!
Disclaimer: I don't own any of them sigh but I wish I did. And I'm not making any dough off of this either. Hmm..speaking of dough, where'd I put the rest f that cookie dough??
We Give Thanks
Lucas nervously sat at the mess table. Ben, in all his brilliance, had arranged a Thanksgiving celebration on board the seaQuest. He had been forced to attend, and was now stuck in a totally unfamiliar situation. His Thanksgivings had always included junk food and a computer screen. That sort of thing he was comfortable with. But this… it was too open for his taste.
He was only here because the Captain asked him to. So now, Lucas was seated at the senior officer's table, next to the man who was making him be here. Well, he wasn't making him be here. It had just seemed so important to Bridger, that Lucas hadn't wanted to disappoint him. So he had thrown on something semi-decent and followed the man down to the mess.
Glancing down the table, Lucas noticed the other senior officers chatting excitedly. They all seemed to be enjoying the party, even Commander Ford seemed relaxed. Well, Lucas thought, he might as well try to have a good time. This was supposed to be fun, and Lucas didn't want to disappoint anyone.
Just as Lucas prepared to join his friends' conversation, Bridger stood, Styrofoam cup in hand. He cleared his throat to get the whole crew's attention. Every table in the Mess was filled with contentedly chatting crew members, and every conversation stopped as they noticed the Captain.
When all eyes were on him, Bridger began to speak. "Well, in the tradition of Thanksgiving, I would like to start the meal by saying what I am thankful for.
"First off, I am thankful for each one of you. As you probably know, I was a bit of a recluse before I came here. But once I got to know this crew, I have never once regretted rejoining the Navy. You are the best crew I have ever had the honor of working with. Second, I am thankful for the members of the senior staff, who have become some of my closest friends. And third," he paused, looking at Lucas. "And third, I am thankful for Lucas. I know that we don't always tell you how important you are to this crew, but believe me, you are. And I'm thankful that I have had the opportunity to get to know you. You are a wonderful person, kiddo, and you mean more to me, and the rest of this crew, than you could possibly know. Thank you." He sat down, and the crew applauded. After a few moments, the applause died down and everyone turned to give their own thanks.
Lucas sat silently, still shocked by the Captain's speech. The man noticed the teen's expression, and smiled. It was probably the first time anyone had ever said something like that to him, and it was taking awhile to sink in. Finally, Lucas turned to him, eyes bright with barely restained tears. Quickly wiping them away, he nodded slightly. "Uh, Captain, I...well, I want to…to thank you too."
"For what, Lucas?"
After pausing to get control over his emotions, the boy continued. "I want to thank you for...for just being there for me when I needed you." He lowered his voice, obviously embarrassed at his display of emotions. "I want to thank you for being the father I never had." The last statement proved to be too much for him, and a few tears left salty trails down his cheeks. He turned away, staring down at his turkey-laden plate.
Bridger smiled again, his own eyes bright. He knew it had taken a lot of courage for Lucas to tell him that, and he carefully leaned forward to put a hand on the teen's shoulder. The boy looked up at him, brilliant blue eyes still glistening with unshed tears. "Lucas…I love you too, kiddo."
With that simple statement, every unshed tear began to make it's way down Lucas' face. Bridger leaned forward and embraced the teen that was like a son to him. For the first time since his own son's disappearance and the death of his wife, the piece of his heart that belonged to family felt…complete.
Lucas, who avoided physical contact whenever possible, felt comfortable when Bridger hugged him. He thought he knew now what real families could be like, the love that passed between a father and son. He had never felt any of that with his own father. But now, he had a second chance to have a family. For once in his life, Lucas thought he could rely on someone to be there for him when the road became rough. He had friends and family now, aboard seaQuest.
He let his eyes roam across the room, noting the smiling faces and joyful voices. There were still a few people giving their thanks, and he watched as tears sprung up in many eyes. When his gaze drifted back to the Officer's Table, he caught Ben's eye. The Lieutenant winked at him, then returned to his conversation with Katie and Tim. Maybe Ben had had the right idea, holding the party. This whole Thanksgiving thing wasn't so bad after all.