Disclaimer: I don't own any of this because I'm still a broke college student without my own seaQuest for transportation. Not that it would do me any good anyways. The CT River isn't big enough for it.

Note: This is a sequel to "Those Nights". I really probably should just start combining all my sequels into one story with multiple chapters... Point: You should probably read that first or this might be confusing but it's up to you.

Dinner First

Lucas Wolenczak looked out at the water. All he could think about was what happened here, the site where his weapon was unleashed. Even if it was a diminished effect, he couldn't let it go. He killed people. He didn't sign up to kill people. He signed up to stay on seaQuest. And what did that matter now? seaQuest was gone. He was the last one off the submarine and now she was nothing but sea trash.

That was months ago and he was still on "leave". He knew the UEO just wanted him out of the picture, away from the cameras and journalists and all that crap. Lucas thought they were probably afraid that he would tell the world everything, that he would tell them it was he who put the disease back into the world, made it a pandemic and then sat on his orders to do nothing.

And that's what it all comes down to, isn't it? He had orders to implement the disease, orders to do nothing, orders to hide away from the world. Orders not to contact anyone but the Secretary General or Captain Hudson, and why would he want to contact them, anyway? All of this was their fault.

Lucas knew he could up and disappear. With his skills, he could make himself invisible enough that even they would never find him again. But he just didn't have the energy left to do so. There would be no point. Why hide from what you did when the UEO was doing a fine job of hiding it for you?

Lucas took another drink of his beer. He wondered if he should contact Bridger, maybe ask to move in if his old Captain had settled down. But then he figured Bridger wouldn't want to see his sorry face anyway. Bridger was too smart to fall for the headlines, and probably figured out that Lucas had a role.

It was so pointless, wasn't it? Didn't he join the Navy in the first place to impress Bridger? To be like, "Hey, I can do this, too? See how much I want to study science on seaQuest and live up to my full potential?"

Bullshit, he told himself. He was young and naïve and now he was young and jaded.

He stood up from the beach, brushed sand off his shorts and walked back to the beach house the UEO rented out for him. He heard the TV running from outside the door and knew it wasn't he who turned it on.

Lucas opened the door slowly and, seeing who was sitting there, walked directly to the shower without saying anything. He thought he was hallucinating, and probably was. He showered slowly, giving the figment of his imagination time to retreat from his living room. Lucas didn't even bother getting fully dressed, opting for another pair of beach shorts and sleeveless shirt thin enough to breathe in the hot temperatures of his new home.

He walked into his kitchen to grab another can, still ignoring the figure on his couch. The figure didn't move, didn't say anything, and so Lucas figured he'd ignore it, too.

He made himself dinner and sat at the dining room table, facing the figure but not looking at anything except his dinner plate. In turn, the figure continued to watch the TV, although Lucas now couldn't remember a time when it ever watched TV in the past.

He was contemplating this when the figure finally spoke. "I don't blame you."

Lucas' eyebrows rose. It was the only indication he gave that he heard the figure speak.

"You were following orders."

"Since when do you support my following orders?" he asked the figure, shoveling another fork-full of food into his mouth.

"I know you did what you could," the figure continued, "to make it less lethal. I still can't wrap my head around the fact they made you do it."

"It's the UEO," Lucas said. "They do what they want."

"I think they just wanted a nice, public-friendly face to put on it if the story got out."

"So now I'm a legitimate poster child." It wasn't a question, just a statement of fact.

"I don't think you're a child at all," said the figure. "I think you're a man that's confused."

Finally, he looked up at Captain Bridger. "I'm not confused; I was backed into a corner. I wouldn't have survived prison and you know it. It was my life or theirs, plus, they would have just gotten someone else to do it anyway, someone who wouldn't have cared like I did."

"I didn't accuse you of anything, Lucas."

"No, no you didn't." So why was he here, then? "Did you find your son?"

"No."

"Then why are you here?"

"I can help you escape the UEO."

Lucas smiled, shook his head. "Thanks but no thanks. If I wanted to leave, I would have. Besides, we both know they'll want nothing to do with me afterwards. This "shore leave" is probably permanent."

"Help me find him."

"Why?" he asked Bridger. Then he regretted doing so. Why was he being so hostile? Bridger was his friend, even if they disagreed on almost everything lately. They had gone their separate ways but not in dislike of one another. Just like he and Krieg had done at the start of all of this.

Was it really just because he had no energy left to fight? No energy left to do anything but sit on the beach all day and ponder his mistakes?

Pathetic. "I take that back," he said. "I'll help you."

Bridger stood, walked into the kitchen where Lucas was still seated as his table, and extended his hand. "I thought you would."

Of course he did. Bridger always knew, always knew what was best for Lucas even when he didn't. Lucas shook hands with the Captain. "Right. Want to stay for dinner first?"

A/N: I fear I've done something horrible. I have two stories with new A/U series potential that could both be wicked awesome in the end but both of which I could probably and will probably screw up but my intention is to follow through with both of them. That is, this story (except I'm going to put them all into one story file at some point) and the Forever series (about Brody's son). And why is mostly everything I write so depressing? Whatever. The third season was pretty dark and that's the playground I seem to play in the most so hey, whatever works, works, I guess. And why do I always want to make everything be a seaQuest/Stargate: SG-1 crossover? If you want more frequent updates on this stuff, follow me on Twitter. The link is in my profile, just let me know you're from here! :) Have a great weekend everyone!