Chapter 21

Addy, December 2022

I wanted to cry. And it wasn't just the pregnant hormones this time. They tried their best to send Robert home for Christmas, but I was left on Bridger's Island alone except for small group of women who came to help me take care of the place. When the rest of the crew got recalled to active duty aboard Achilles II, the UEO had to decide what to do with me. Bridger's Island was pretty sequestered, and although I had never gone there before all of this, Robert assured me it was safe.

He had been coming back on a rotational basis—except that that rotational basis left him at sea for Christmas and me playing with his father's old science equipment alone. I was so bored, so lonely all the damned time. I knew they were monitoring my every move, too. The UEO made it clear I couldn't contact anyone on the outside. They sent by the group of women themselves, had even chosen them based on some security clearance I couldn't even begin to understand.

Occasionally, someone would drop by unannounced, and I would talk to them every now and then, but I let it be. What else could I do?

Until one time in particular, a woman I'd never seen before showed up. She hurried up the stairs to the house with quick steps and let herself in the house. I never kept it locked, assuming that the UEO had security running the place like back at the colony.

But they let her in, or they never saw her, and she let herself in. I watched her enter the house from a window on the second floor, and descended the stairs to see who the visitor might be. She must have known the Bridger's, that's for sure, but what would she make of me: a pregnant woman in the house alone?

I found her in the living room, a picture frame in hand. "Hello," I said.

She jumped, the picture frame coming to her chest.

I cringed. "Sorry." I didn't enjoy scaring my rare house guests. "Can I help you with something?"

"Um, who are you?" the woman asked. Her English accent startled me a little. I wasn't expecting it in combination with her fiery red hair.

"Addison," I said. "Addison Bridger. This is my house." Sort of.

"Bridger?" she asked. "He never mentioned a daughter." It sounded like that thought left her distraught.

I shook my head. "I'm—" I cut myself off. Was I allowed to tell her? I mean, we're all supposed to be dead.

But the UEO let her through the line of security, I told myself. That, or she got through on her own, in which case she must know them and my secret is safe with her.

"I'm Robert's wife," I said.

Her eyebrow rose in disbelief. "Nathan never mentioned he had a wife."

"Mr. Bridger didn't know about me. Who are you?" I asked again.

"Kristin Westphalen, Doctor," she said. "I worked with Nathan on seaQuest."

My eyes lit up at the submarine's name. "seaQuest," I echoed, then I looked back to her, "Do you know what really happened to them?"

Kristin shook her head. "I had come here hoping to find Nathan drinking coffee and all of it being a ruse."

I frowned. "I wish it wasn't true, either." I moved a few feet to my right and sat ungracefully on the couch. "Robert's gone, too, because they are."

Kristin sat down in the chair across from me. "Nathan said Robert died."

I looked off to the side. How much could I really tell her? "I can't explain everything," I started slowly, "but things… they weren't how they seemed. Robert and I were working on a project together that got shut down. Instead of letting us be, they held us and told the world we died."

She looked confused. "They why would seaQuest disappearing have to do with Robert being back on active duty?"

"It's complicated," I said, feeling the sadness start again. "The project we were working on, they think it's all related. Were you and Nathan close?"

She nodded. "Very much so." But she left it at that, changing the subject to, "How far along are you?"

"Seven months," I answered, still frowning.

"Addison, don't be upset," she said. She must have really been a Doctor because her tone already had me reassured. "They'll send Robert back to you."

"Doubtful," I said. "They break their promises all the time."

"Do you know what you're having?" Kristin asked me.

I let a smile touch my lips. "A boy. Figures, huh?"

Kristin also smiled. "Just what the Bridger family needs, another headstrong male."

I laughed. I liked this Kristin. I never met either of Robert's parents but I feel that if Mr. Bridger wanted to remarry, he would have married this woman.

I looked down to my own wedding band, unable to keep the thoughts away.

"Hey," she said, coming across to my couch. "Don't think about it that way. Here, how about I make us some tea. Do you have any?"

I went to sit up, "Yes. That would be great right now. I'll go—"

She put a hand on mine. "I can get it. If Nathan was living here by himself, I'm sure it can't be that hard to find things in the kitchen, now could it?"

I smiled again. She was right.

I liked this Kristin Westphalen.

Kristin set out cups and poured tea for both of us. "You know why I'm here, may I ask what you're doing here on Bridger's Island?"

Complicated, I said again in my thoughts, and then again reminded myself that the UEO, for whatever reason, let Kristin through. "They, uh, disbanded the colony we were sequestered for years in order to restore the project we were working on. I was supposed to go, too, but…" I looked down at my stomach. "The project isn't safe for pregnant women and kids. I'm sure they found homes for the others, but for me, Bridger's Island was the only option."

"Do they at least let Robert visit?" she asked.

I nodded. "Every few weeks, they owe us that much." I left out the part about how the only person who even tried to look out for the two of us was probably dead, which is why they really didn't care about leaving me here. "They say this is more humane," I said, gesturing at the house, "since there's no one else using it, anyways."

Kristin didn't look happy about any of it. "They're always doing things like that," she said quickly. "And I cannot believe they lied about all of you like that."

I sighed. "That's the UEO for you."

Kristin nodded. "Don't even get me started."

"You're not particularly fond of them, either?" I asked her.

"Please, like I said, don't get me started."

"Did they send you here?" I asked. "Until now, they never let anyone here except for a small group of people. It's like the house is off-limits because if anyone sees me, their secret's out."

"No," she said, setting down her cup, "but this is the first time something hasn't happened to keep me from getting here."

Of course.

This was so messed up I didn't even know what to think anymore.

Kristin exhaled loudly. "I just still cannot believe Robert is alive. I wish I could tell Nathan."

"Believe me," I said, "I wish I could, too. Robert always said his father would have figured out a way out our or situation faster than we did. He was upset that he couldn't be there at the wedding."

"I'm sure it was lovely either way," she reassured me.

"It was," I nodded, "but it would have been perfect if our families were there. I mean, we had the crew and Charlie but…"

"It just wasn't the same?" she finished for me.

"Yes."

"You've all been through a lot, haven't you?"

"You can't even imagine," I said.

Then she asked the one question I didn't think I could answer, even now. "What was the project you were working on, the one that got shut down?"

I looked at my teacup. "I can't."

"That secret?" she asked me.

"Yes," I said, shifting in my seat. "And dangerous."

"Dangerous how?" Kristin asked, genuinely.

I looked at her. "The kind of dangerous that can rip apart space and time."

I was hoping she wouldn't believe me.

A/N: This is why I like writing without an outline. Sometimes I forget things, like what Kristin might have been doing the whole time. Sure, her and Bridger kind of parted ways after Season 1, but do you think she would have just taken "they disappeared" as an answer? No, me either.