A/N: I thought I'd try something experimental and go entirely with Darwin's perspective. This one is based off Go the Distance from Hercules.

Go the Distance

Darwin sighed as Lucas held up a card with a picture of a dolphin on it. Of course, Lucas wanted him to say, "Dolphin," but Darwin wasn't going to comply so easily. It wasn't that he wanted to purposely be disobedient; he loved the young man. But he felt frustrated... In fact, he had been feeling that way for quite sometime now, only he wasn't sure how to express his feelings.

"Come on, Darwin. We need to reestablish the language base; the vocoder caught some kind of virus. It's not your fault, but you know this. Just say the word; it should be a piece of cake." He laughed softly. "Or in your case, mackerel."

But Darwin just wasn't in the mood at all. This was much bigger than some silly pictures on cards. This was his intelligence, for flounder's sake. Didn't anyone understand that?

Doctor Kristin came to stand alongside Lucas. "Maybe he needs a break?" she suggested softly. "You've been at it for hours, and no offense, but I've heard more lecturing than progress." She gently took the yellow box out of Lucas' hand and turned it off. She then rubbed Darwin's head softly. "You've done very well for today. Go, have fun now." She hit a button to open the outside hatch.

Darwin closed his eyes, enjoying her touch. Well, maybe she understood a little bit, though she didn't know the reason why he needed to get away. Still, he nosed her hand to show his appreciation before turning to swim out of the moon pool and into the ocean through the hatch she'd opened.

At least he could be free to think. Oh, how he loved his freedom. Even since Bridger and Bridger lady found him trapped in the fisherman's net, they'd always allowed him his freedom. That freedom was the only way he could convince his dolphin companions that he was not a pet. Pets aren't free to come and go as they please. Sure, there were times Darwin spent more time with the humans than with dolphins, but that was when they needed him more...like after Bridger lady had gone to the big sky place. Darwin had known Bridger needed his companionship more, so he'd stayed.

But this...this was different now. Oh, he still loved Bridger; he always would. But this wasn't about Bridger. He and Bridger never had a communication problem. Bridger had never insulted his intelligence.

But that silly little yellow box did. All. The Time. Darwin hated that little yellow box with a passion. Yes, Lucas made it, and yes, he was proud of it. A great scientific advancement, the young man had called it. For humans, perhaps, but certainly not for dolphins.

Darwin flipped his tail in anger. Dolphin language was far more advanced than humans understood. Sure, they heard whistles, clicks, and squeaks when he spoke. But it was the tone of it, the way it resonated through the sinuses... One single whistle could tell an entire story composed of thousands of words...words that had the same ornate lyrical eloquence of the Shakespearean sonnets Bridger lady had used to talk about.

But dolphin language had poetry and beauty as well. He remembered the way his mother would sooth him with her gentle whistles when he was a calf, the beauty of her song still filling his senses even now. There was no way he would ever explain that to that yellow box, though. He couldn't put into words for the humans how wonderful it was when a new calf was born and how the elders of the pod would explain to the young one the meaning of life, their dolphin philosophy. That yellow box was just too primitive to be able to show the humans how advanced his language was.

Dolphin language had been perfected long before humans ever even graced the planet, but that blasted yellow box translated his squeaks, clicks, and whistles into single words. Obviously, it was so the humans could understand him, but half the time, it missed things. Not only that, he couldn't even tell the humans this because stupid yellow box would put his feelings into something that would sound like, "Darwin no like words from yellow box. No sound like pictures in head."

How in the world would that prove he was far move intelligent than that confounded box made it seem? The whole thing just made him sad and angry. And, no, it wasn't Lucas' fault exactly, but he wished the humans could see deeper than what was on the surface. And that was why he was upset: because sometimes he felt like no one understood him. Sometimes, he felt trapped and held back back that little yellow idiot box.

He shook his head, trying to forget about the humans for the time being. He swam for a while, noticing things he hadn't before, like the way the coral seemed an even brighter pink than normal...or how pretty the jellyfish looked as they swam above him. There was beauty all around him, and he felt at peace. And there was absolutely no danger of...

"Clickwhistlesqueak!"

Darwin turned his head in the direction of the familiar voice as a familiar dolphin swam towards him, almost forgetting his dolphin name; it had been quite a while since he'd conversed with another dolphin.

"Clickwhistlesqueak, where've you been lately? I feel like it's been months."

The other dolphin in question was his older brother, Clicksqueakclick. "I know," Darwin replied with a nod. "I've missed you, though."

"Same here," his brother said. "Are you going to stay for a while?"

"I'm going to see where the current takes me."

Clicksqueakclick raised a fin. "In other words, you're going to come back to the pod for a few days and then go back with your human friends." His brother shook his head. "Sometimes, I don't know what you see in them. Is it for free fish or what?"

"I come out here to hunt, fish for brains," Darwin teased before becoming serious. "Bridger...he needs me."

"Ah, but the question is: do you need him?" His brother nosed him playfully before turning to swim away. "The rest of the pod is on the other side of the reef. I'm playing scout, just to make sure there's no danger. Wait until I tell them who I found." He paused. "There's talk of a large school of tuna headed our way. Should be good eating, and e could definitely use another hunter. You'll be there, won't you?"

Darwin hesitated for a brief second, but he nodded, since he had to eat. "Yeah, yeah, I'll be there."

-sQsQsQsQsQsQsQsQsQsQ-

Since being with Bridger, Darwin had become used to being a solitary hunter. Only occasionally did he get the chance to hunt with other dolphins, especially the ones from his own pod. After he and his pod-mates had a bellies full of tuna, he laughed in delight, remembering how good it felt to hunt as a group.

"See what you've been missing," Clicksqueakclick commented. "You're acting like calf again."

Darwin nosed his brother in the side. "What? A dolphin can't have a little fun once in a while? Besides, I'm not that old. Neither are you, for that matter."

"No, but you've been with the humans for a long time...several spawning seasons, if I recall. When are you going to wake up? You're a dolphin, not a human. You belong here."

It certainly was ironic that Clicksqueakclick bring all this up now, especially when Darwin was feeling the way he was. Maybe he was right. Maybe he had been with humans too long. One thing for sure was that there was no language barrier with the dolphins. Still Darwin felt he needed advice, not from his brother but from another member of the pod. He hadn't gotten a chance to properly greet her yet, and she'd been staring in his direction. He told Clicksqueakclick he'd see him later and swam over to her.

"Clickwhistlesqueak!" she cried.

Darwin nuzzled up to her. "Mother! I've missed you."

"And I, you. It's been a while. How are things?"

"They're...fine," he said with a nod of his head.

She patted his side with a fin. "You don't sound convincing. You're not feeling homesick again, are you? There's plenty more seaweed, if you need it."

"No, nothing like that. I feel physically fine. Everything's just perfect. I just came out to feed and noticed where I was, so I thought..."

"Clickwhistlesqueak, I can tell something's bothering you." She looked to the other dolphins nearby. "Are you afraid someone else will hear?"

Darwin hung his head. "Maybe."

"Follow me," she told him, leading him to a vacant area of the reef. "Now, what is bothering my little calf?"

"I'm not a calf, Mom."

"You'll always be my calf, no matter how old you are. All my calves are. Now, what is the matter?"

Darwin sighed. "It's the humans."

She swished her tail angrily. "Did they hurt you? No on hurts my son! I swear I'll-"

The younger dolphin slapped his tail and shook his head. "No, Mom, nothing like that."

"Oh," she said with a laugh, "good. Then what is it?"

"I just feel so... I feel like... I'm not sure I fit in with them anymore."

A fin rose in surprise. "And why in the world would you think that?"

"It's that yellow talking box I've told you about. It's just so...so frustrating that it doesn't say exactly what I'm saying. I feel like I'm just so misunderstood."

There was a long pause before his mother spoke once again. "And what makes you say that? Did the humans ever give you any indication that you are any less important to them?"

"Well, no..."

"Any less valued?"

"No."

"Then what made you feel this way?" she pressed.

"Lucas said the box had a virus and needs to be reprogrammed." He paused, trying to think of a way to explain this to his mother. "It's like it had a fluke, but he got it out."

She nodded. "I see. So why did that make you upset?"

"It wasn't that. It's just that box...it makes me said the humans will never know the beauty of our language or how intelligent I really am."

"Did they ever say they thought you weren't intelligent?"

He thought for a moment. "Well, no, not really."

"Did they start treating you differently to make you think you were?"

"No... But Clicksqueakclick says that I shouldn't be off with them. I should be here, where you need me, appreciate me."

"Clicksqueakclick doesn't know what he's talking about," she muttered.

"You mean you don't need me?" he asked sadly.

"No...that is not what I meant," she replied, giving him a reassuring nuzzle. "As I said, I will always love you, and you can always come home. This is your pod, your family, your friends. Of course, we miss you when you're away, but we also know you're happy where you are. You are happy with them, aren't you?"

"Usually, yes," he replied. "I've only recently become upset about that yellow box."

"Maybe you should tell them how you feel?"

He shook his head. "The box won't make me sound intelligent. It'll make me sound...well, not so intelligent."

"Think of what it's like when we encounter a whale pod. Things are lost a bit in translation, since they don't communicate quit the same way we do. But we get the basic concept. I think it's the same thing with you and the humans, isn't it?"

"I...I guess it is," he replied thoughtfully.

"The point is that you are very, very important to them. I saw that when I met Bridger and the rest of your friends. It helped me to know that you were being well taken care of. And it also assured me you were happy." She paused for a moment. "I'm going to assume your friends may have noticed your sudden mood change?"

"Well, I haven't been very cooperative with that stupid box."

She sighed. "The only one showing them that you're not as intelligent as you seem is you."

"But-"

"They already know how intelligent you are. I promise you, they know. They value you just as they value one another. You need to go back and talk to them about this."

"You...you want me to leave?"

She laughed softly. "This was only a visit and you know it. Besides, you know what will happen if you don't go back soon."

"Lucas does get worried if I'm not back within a few hours," he noted. He moved to nuzzle his mother. "I love you."

"I love you too, my little one."

"I'll come visit soon," he told her.

"Even if you don't, I know you're safe where you are. I'll tell the others you said goodbye."

He nodded, giving his mother one last nuzzle before turning to swim away.

-sQsQsQsQsQsQsQsQsQsQ-

It was late by the time Darwin got back to the boat. He was somewhat disappointed that the corridors seemed empty as he made his way through the aqua tubes on his way to the moon pool. As he peered over the side of the pool, however, he noticed the lights to the lab were on. He peered over the side of the pool to see what was going on.

"Darwin still hasn't come back," Lucas said worriedly. "Can we go look for him?"

"Lucas, this isn't the first time he's been away for several hours. He's probably having fun with his friends," Bridger said with a laugh. "It's late. Why don't you go on to bed? The doctor and I still have some work to finish up here, but I promise, if he comes back, I'll let you know."

"I'm sure he'll be back soon," Kristin added. "There's nothing to worry about; you'll see."

"But I...I was so mean to him."

"Oh, is that what this is about?" Kristin sighed, putting an arm around his shoulders. "I'm sure you're far more upset than Darwin is."

"How can you be so sure?"

Darwin decided it was time to make his presence known. He let out a few cries, knowing they'd all approach the pool.

"Darwin!" Lucas cried, a huge grin on his face. "I'm sorry about before." He turned the vocoder on. "While you were away, I messed with it a bit, and it's not quite as touchy, though you will still need to help me reprogram some words into it."

"Darwin fine with that. Lucas no sorry. Darwin sorry."

The three of them exchanged glances. "Why are you sorry?" Bridger asked him.

"Yellow box make Darwin angry. Darwin talk to pod. Darwin know it not Lucas' fault. Darwin happy here. Darwin home."

"You were angry at the vocoder?" Lucas repeated. "Why?"

"Make Darwin sound stupid."

"Oh, so you thought we thought you weren't smart?" Lucas said with a nod.

The dolphin nodded his head.

"Well, that's simply not true," Kristin told him.

"That's right," Nathan chimed in. "We could never think that."

Lucas picked up the vocoder. "This thing...this yellow box...well, it's a computer, Dar. It's just a tool so we can understand each other. I know it's not perfect, but-"

"It okay, Lucas. Darwin understand."

The three of them smiled and pet him gently.

"I'm glad to hear it," Kristin told him. "And I'm glad you're home, but we have work to do. I'll see you in the morning, though. Goodnight, Darwin."

"Goodnight," the dolphin called as she and Bridger departed.

"Next time I'm pushing you too hard, you need to tell me, okay?" Lucas said once he and Darwin were alone.

"Okay," Darwin said. And he meant it, because he knew the humans truly appreciated him...and he knew he was right where he belonged.