Hovering above SeaQuest's science console stood a tall lithe young man in his late teens. With over regulation long blond hair that needed to be swiped away with an occasional gesture and ocean blue eyes that caught every detail, he monitored the console carefully. His Fingers flew across the panel, typing in command strings, manipulating code as if it were a child's glob of silly putty. After only a moment did he look up and into his commanding officer's eyes. "Sir. I got it."

            Captain Bridger nodded sharply and called over his shoulder. "Send the frequency over to O'Neill. Lieutenant, send the virus."

            "Aye captain." Tim O'Neill tapped a couple of keys. "Virus has now contacted the ship," Tim looked up. "She's down, captain."

            A slight cheer murmured through the bridge. Bridger grinned at the young man and clapped a hand on his shoulder. "Good job Lucas."

            Lucas smiled. "Thank you captain." As the captain marched off to issue orders regarding the former threat before them, he took the opportunity to slump down into his chair. After hours upon hours of working, trying to find a weakness, creating it once he had found it, he was able to relax. He rubbed his computer screen bleary eyes with the tips of his fingers. He had pulled off all nighters that were worse than this, but he knew he was still a bit glazed over.

            "Lucas, are you alright?" Lucas tilted his head to the side and saw Dr. Kristin Westphalen looking down at him. He stood and leaned against his console.

            "Yeah, sure Doc."  Westphalen frowned and cupped his face in her hands. She studied his eyes.

            "You have that glazed computer look on your face again. Focus on my fingers." She held two fingers in front of his eyes. Lucas locked onto the fingers but found his eyes wandering a second later. "Aha. Get away from the computer young man. You've had enough."

            Lucas resisted the force that was nudging him off the bridge. "Hey! I had to. We needed the virus. There was a threat. "

            "Well, there isn't one now."

            "Get some sleep. Eat something."

"You expect me to sleep? I'm too wired from all this."

            "Then just eat. You've worked long enough."

            "I've only been on shift for uh…" he paused, knowing fully well he worked overtime.

            Westphalen knew it as well. "More than 10 hours non stop," She shooed him into the maglev. "Eat something, then rest, and that's an order."

            Lucas sat down dejectedly on one of the maglev's benches. "Yes mom." He cooed before the doors closed. Lucas sighed and leaned back as the maglev lurched forward.

            The maglev slid to a stop and opened its doors for the young man. Lucas nodded in greeting to the crewmembers getting on as he left. He paused before the stair well. Up was the way to his quarters, down was the way to the mess hall. As he looked up, his stomach growled angrily. Lucas sighed and decided to swing by the galley for something. He started down.

            "Hey, where are you going, kiddo?" Lucas looked up and grinned at the Captain.

            "Just down to the mess, captain. I'm under the doc's orders."

            "You've never followed my orders that fast."

            "Well, you don't have quick access to sharp pointy things and endless medical exams."

            "Point taken." Agreed Bridger. "By the way, nice work up there Lucas."

            The teenager blushed. "Uh, t'was nothin'."

            "Nothing?" exclaimed Bridger. "I don't think anyone would have thought of sending them a virus that attacked them inside out. It saved us from hurting a lot of those people." Said Bridger. "We could have disabled them with torpedoes, killing who knows how many. You kept the blood shed to a minimum, kiddo." He said in approval.

            Lucas shrugged. "You've always taught me to look for alternatives, even if there weren't any and you don't have to kill to make a point. I just kind of applied it."

            Bridger put an arm around the young man's shoulders. "Well, I'm proud of you, Lucas." Lucas looked into the captain's eyes. He found not only pride radiating from them, but also something he had never seen before on another person's eyes. Lucas couldn't place it. Every once in a while he'd catch Bridger looking at him that way. The same thing with Westphalen. He never could place the feeling. Whatever it was, it made him feel good.

            Lucas smiled. "Thanks captain."

            The two of them reached the mess. Lucas started to turn in while Bridger continued down the hall. "I have to check up with engineering. See ya later Kiddo."

            "Yeah, see ya." Lucas turned the hatch lock and entered the mess. It was generally empty, save for a few tables in the corners. He snatched up a pre-wrapped tuna sandwich, an apple, and a bottle of some kind of nutrient drink. Ready to take the goods up to his room, he made a beeline for the door.

            "Hey Luke!" Lucas turned on his heel. Tony piccolo, along with Lonnie Henderson, Miguel Ortiz and Tim O'Neill were sitting at their regular table, waving at him. Lucas grinned.

            "Hey guys." He shot a glare at Tony. "Don't call me Luke."

            "Pull up a seat." Invited Ortiz. Lucas plunked his food down on the table, pulled out a chair and straddled it backwards.

            "Can't you sit normally?" asked Henderson.

            "It would depend on your definition of normal." He took a bite into his apple and waved it to her, stressing his point.

            "Hey Lucas-"

            "No, I didn't finish the program yet, Tim. I'm almost done. I'll have it at your station by tomorrow."

            "No problem Lucas. Thanks."

            "You psychic or somethin', Luke?" asked Tony.

            Lucas grinned. "Maybe. Wanna check my med records?"

            "You betta not be messin' wit' my head."

            "No way," said Lucas. "Who'd want to get inside that?" he taped his knuckles against Tony's head.

            "Ow, not funny." Grumbled Tony over the laughter.

            Tim put a spoonful of whatever he was eating into his mouth. After a grimace he asked. "Hey Miguel, are you going us for poker later?"

            "Of course, wouldn't want to miss me kicking your butt."

            "I'm that bad at poker." Protested O'Neill.

            "Are you going, Lucas?" Asked Henderson. "'Cause I'm scared when you play."

            "I'm going. Why?" he stuffed half of his sandwich into his mouth.

            "'Cause we know you're gonna be pulling some mathematical statistics thing, calculating everythin' and winnin' everythin' in the process." Said Tony.

            "No one said I couldn't," said Lucas. "Are we using real cash or what?"

            "Ford'll kill us if we did." Said Tony. "We're sticking with favors and monopoly money."

            "You're brining the snacks this time Lonnie." Said Miguel.

            "Why me?"

            "I brought them last time, and Tim brought them the time before that."

            "In that case, you're stuck with Dipsy Doodles and carbonated water."

            "Iew." Complained Lucas. "Carbonated water? That stuff has no taste."

            "This stuff doesn't either," said Tim holding up his own tuna sandwich. "But we don't see you complain."

            "It won't matter if you complained about it or not," said Henderson. "Because that's what I'm bringing and that's what you're eating."

"Oh yes, miss high and mighty." Said Tony, earning him a punch in the arm.

Lucas laughed. He really had some interesting friends.  The senior staff of the UEO flagship SeaQuest by day, real nutcases by night, but all around friends.

Lucas snapped the hatch to his quarters closed. He stripped off his worn leather jacket and tossed it into his locker. He pushed aside a giant stack of computer manuals draped with spaghetti twisting cables to look at the vidscreen on his desk. Finding none, he chucked a handful of manuals into his bookcase in a pathetic attempt at tidying up a little. Lucas kicked off his shoes and flipped himself into his bunk. It was just like his old room on the first SeaQuest. Though it was slightly bigger, didn't have the electronic clutter he never bothered to clean, and a bunkmate, it still had the same feel. His bunk had the mammal tubes window and that's all he really cared about.  As long as he had the view, he had no complaints…aside from the usual ones he had of Tony, but those were always in fun. Lucas slipped his entwined fingers behind his head and stared at the ceiling. He didn't really have an opportunity just to lie back and let his mind wander for a long time. He was always busy with some project or another, or hanging out with friends. Now it was a luxury. Gray. He had never really noticed the color before. It wasn't a light watered down gray, and it wasn't a dark storm kind of gray. It had a kind of metallic luster to it, giving it a shiny look. The water of the tubes shimmered, getting a reflection on the ceiling. It was kind of an optimistic gray. Lucas rolled his eyes at the thought of such poetic language. His room when he was younger was gray. He hated looking up at it. The dull gray depressed him, making him feel even worse than he did. The sadness and anger of his parents, the stress of having everyone expect a lot from him, all compounded the depressing ceiling. He supposed that was why he chose daydreaming to staring. A smile crept onto his face. His angels. So long forgotten, he hadn't thought of them since he first stepped onto to SeaQuest. They were his comfort, his sense of hope for the future. He wondered why they had left him.

            Lucas reached into his shirt and grasped at a chain that hung from his neck for over 13 years. Pulling it out, he dangled the tiny charm above his eyes. His angel. It was his last memory of happiness with his family and a physical reassurance of hope. Lucas studied the charm as it swung slightly in the air. "Why did you leave me?"

            The angel twisted, catching the rays of light the tube had scattered. As it turned, Lucas noticed a little worn spot on one of the angel's wings. Taking it in his hands, he ran his thumb over it. A long uncorrected habit of taking the chain out and rubbing the spot in reassurance had worn the silver down had made it lose a little of it's shine. Noticing something, Lucas held the angel away from him against the ceiling. The worn spot was the same color as the ceiling.

            Lucas grinned at the angel. He didn't need them any more. He had SeaQuest. SeaQuest was his home, where everyone accepted him.  People depended on him. He had a place there. They were his family. The captain was more of a father than Lawrence ever was. He actually cared what happened to him. So did Westphalen. She dotted over him, playing the mother hen role. Cynthia never did that. Though it sometimes became annoying when Westphalen fussed over him, he knew it was only because she cared. His brothers and sisters were more than he ever wished for. Ben Krieg was the older brother he never had, Tony was the friend that his parents would disapprove of, Darwin was…something though he didn't really know what, not to mention the other brothers and sisters he had from the senior crew. All of them were family to him, more so than his mom and dad. They were his angels.

Lucas enveloped his hand over the pendant and closed his eyes. The image of a smiling angel with an approving smile on her face floated into his mind. He smiled back. Everything is wonderful now.

* * *

AN: Yes, yes, I know it's a bit cheesy with the lyrics jammed in places. But it's not overly horrible…is it? Questions and comment greatly appreciated.