Kristin tossed and turned as she tried to make herself more comfortable. Nathan had ordered all his senior staff to get some sleep. Not that he had ordered her because Nathan knew better than that. It had just been wise counsel to take the opportunity to bank some sleep. The only trouble was her mind couldn't rest enough to allow her to sleep. She was fretting about Lucas and now Mika. By the time Nathan and Miguel had managed to repair the control panel, Mika and Darwin were both long gone. They had no idea where they had gone. It was like they had disappeared without a trace. Kristin could tell Nathan was both baffled and aggravated. Abalon was a large underwater colony. It defied everything reasonable for it to have disappeared. SeaQuest's sensors could not pick up even a trace of it. There was no evidence that it had ever existed. It was just gone. Kristin's own astute mind could not accept it. However, everyone seemed so weary and mystified that it was just made sense to deal with it after a good night's rest.

Kristin sat up and flicked on her light. It was no use. She simply couldn't rest her mind enough to sleep. She reached for her journal and pulled out her pen. She had been jotting down some of her thoughts and feelings over the past year. Feelings about Nathan, thoughts about various crew members and Lucas. She found it almost cathartic to work through the things weighing on her mind. Her last entry had been all about her thoughts regarding Mika. Her heart ached for the young teen girl. Kristin chewed on the pen lid and sighed. What had so driven the girl to break into the control panel to escape SeaQuest when before she had been so adamant about not returning? Did it mean that she was concerned for Lucas' safety? Kristin shuddered at the thought. It had been blatantly obvious how severely abused the girl had been. The bruises and welts on her back and lower torso were not ancient history. The girl had been recently beaten. Her mannerisms and quirks all indicated she was a victim of physical and emotional abuse. All of it terrified Kristin when she allowed herself to dwell on it. If Wise was capable of beating a child he considered his own, what would he do to Lucas?

Kristin flipped back in her journal and read her thoughts from her struggle with Lucas. She felt her heart pinch as she thought of what happened. She couldn't help but feel guilty. She wished she would have handled things differently with Lucas. She shouldn't have been so passive. She should have been more insistent that he talk with her and work things out so he wouldn't have felt the need to break trusts with Nathan. Kristin blinked her eyes as she felt tears brim her eyes. She would give anything to have Lucas in front of her right now. She knew Nathan wouldn't agree, but she was willing to forgive and forget any and all of his behaviour, belligerent or otherwise. She chided herself for being too hard on him. As she continued to flip through the pages of her journal and casually reading entries here and there, a card fell into her lap bringing her a smile to her face. It was a card Lucas had given to her for her birthday. It was a handmade card with a picture of a dolphin on the front. She opened the card and tears spilled over her cheeks. It read: Dear Doc, Happy Birthday to the best Doc on SeaQuest (but don't tell Dr. Levin I said that) Cheers, Lucas. p.s Darwin thinks you're pretty special too and so does Captain Bridger. *wink* Kristin laughed through her tears at the picture Lucas had drawn of Nathan. He had him all dressed in khaki shorts and a floral beach shirt. Lucas assured her that was how Nathan looked when he was fishing on his island. Kristin brushed a tear from her cheek as she remembered Lucas' lopsided grin when he gave the card to her and his sideways half hug. He had pretty much stolen her heart that day.

Kristin hugged the card to her chest as she let the tears fall down her cheeks. Why couldn't he see that she did the things she did because she cared about him so much? Kristin reached for a tissue and pulled the blanket up tighter around her legs. She closed her eyes and soon found herself praying. She had been doing it more often since Lucas went missing and now with Mika gone as well, she felt completely helpless. Kristin felt powerless and praying to a high power or authority felt like it was the right thing to do. Her prayer seemed to echo her heart's desire. "Please keep Lucas safe from harm and bring him home to us." With tears on her cheeks and the card held tightly against her chest, Kristin felt herself drift to sleep.

oOoOoOoOseaquestOoOoOoOo

Kaman quietly entered his quarters and sat down on his bunk. He pulled off his shoes and neatly arranged them under his bed. He felt exhausted, and there wasn't one part of his body that didn't ache. His back and lower body was throbbing, and he dared not take off his shirt or lay down. Tears still were fresh on his face as his mind wandered over all that had happened. He blinked back tears wishing he could undo the last 24 hours. He was just such a bitter disappointment to his father and knowing that made him feel even worse. It didn't matter if his intentions were good and innocent. Every time he dared to step out on his own and make a crucial decision, it ended up biting him in the butt. When Shapra and he tried to capture Mika and bring her home from the beach, that meddlesome man interfered. Kaman had honestly not known what else to do but take him instead. Kaman hadn't known he was a commander of a UEO submarine. His father had been livid that the outside world knew he was alive. Kaman knew his father had wished to stay invisible until he was ready. His father kept telling him that they weren't prepared yet.

Kaman gingerly leaned against the wall, gasping out loud. He heard movement above him and held his breath hoping he hadn't woken his brother.

"Kaman?" came a groggy voice from above.

Kaman silently scolded himself for waking his brother. Shapra needed his sleep as well as he did. "I am here, Shapra. Go back to sleep." He heard more movements and shuffling as his brother jumped down from his bunk and crawled in beside him.

"I woke up earlier, and you were gone."

"Father called me to room 25."

Shapra looked confused. "He said you could have four hours first. Why did he call you sooner?"

Kaman pulled his knees up and rested his chin. "He is teaching Lucas obedience."

Shapra raised a brow. "Oh, Kaman."

Kaman shook his head and wrapped his arms around his knees. "I expected it, Shapra. I brought him here for a purpose. That captain will return and bring Mika again. This time we cannot allow Mika to leave no matter what."

"How bad was it, Kaman?" Shapra put a hand on Kaman's knee in comfort.

"Bad enough, but I do not care. I would do it again. Mika needs to come home. Father has been miserable since she left. She is his sunshine." Kaman clenched his jaw. "I am so angry with her. She refused me, Shapra."

Shapra nodded. "She is afraid, Kaman. Father…"

Kaman's head shot up. "Father spoils her, Shapra! He must not make the same mistake when she returns. She must be punished."

Shapra dropped his head. "Why did you bring Lucas here? What did you hope to prove?"

Kaman's eyes flashed anger. "Mika cares for him. I saw it in her eyes. She may even come on her own if she has a chance."

Kaman looked at his brother as he stretched out his legs. His back was throbbing so badly that he could hardly find a comfortable position to sit. He felt his anger burn as he thought of his sister. He loved her so much. She was the one who brought laughter and joy to Abalon. The day his father brought her home and introduced her to them as their sister, their family had felt complete. Mika brought to Abalon cheerfulness and sunlight. She brought harmony and laughter. Without her, everything was bleak.

"Kaman, must you accept responsibility for him? Can you not ask for absolution? Father already punished you when you brought him to Abalon?"

Kaman shook his head. "No, Shapra. I am responsible for him. I am proud to stand in his place. Father will see that I can be the leader he wants me to be. I will show Father that I am worthy to lead Abalon. Besides, Lucas is very bright. It could have been so much worse."

Kaman reached into his pocket and pulled out a watch. He glanced at it and handed it to his brother.

"Whose is that?" asked Shapra taking the watch.

"It belongs to Lucas. It is much kinder to him that he lose awareness of time. He will submit sooner." Kaman saw his brother nod in agreement. "You should get back to sleep, Shapra, it is almost morning."

Shapra fingered the watch solemnly. "I understand her desire, Kaman. I cannot help being mesmerized by it." Kaman felt his brother's eyes burrowing into his cheek.

Kaman turned to face him. "Fight it, Shapra. It is not time yet. Please, for my sake, fight that desire."

Kaman saw Shapra nod, and he climbed up into his bunk again. Kaman took the opportunity to carefully tug off his shirt. He hissed as the rough material grazed his aching back. He stood removing his jeans and carefully folding them before placing them on the end of his bed. He pulled back the blankets and crawled into bed, turning to face the wall.

"Kaman?"

"Yes?"

"You already are a good leader. I am proud to call you my brother."

Kaman felt tears burn in his eyes as Shapra's words pierced his heart. He didn't feel like a good leader. He felt like a failure. But he would continue to do what he needed to in order to be the man his father wanted him to be.

oOoOoOoOseaquestOoOoOoOo

Lucas raked a hand through his clean, damp hair as he emptied his second bottle of water. He didn't think water had ever tasted so good. He lifted the lid on the tray Kaman had left and grabbed an apple. As he sat down on the bed, he bit into the sweet fruit and closed his eyes wearily. Kaman had brought him to this room and gave him water and food. The room had a bathroom complete with all the amenities he needed. Lucas had been relieved to strip from his sweaty clothes and shower. Lucas glanced around the room as he chewed. There was a bed, a closet with clean clothes, and a desk. There were no pictures on the walls. The room was devoid of anything but the necessities. Lucas shifted positions and felt his muscles complain. There wasn't one muscle in his body that wasn't shouting bloody murder at him. Wise hadn't shown any him mercy either. He would finish one exercise only to be ordered to do another. It hadn't taken long to figure out that if he refused, Kaman suffered a terrible price in his place.

Lucas took another bite from the apple and attempted to discern what kind of game Wise was playing. Kaman was being used as a whipping boy, and Wise showed no remorse when he whipped his son. He held nothing back. The last half hour had been completely atrocious. Lucas felt tears brim his eyes, and he shot the apple across the floor in repulsion and frustration. Wise had beaten Kaman brutally the last time while Lucas lay exhausted on the floor. He could still hear Kaman's cries. Lucas brought his hands to his ears and covered them as he became overwhelmed by the memory. In all his born days, he had never felt so helpless. He had begged Wise to stop. He had tried to stand on his feet, but he couldn't. He just had to lay there and watch. It had made Lucas feel sickened to observe it and powerless to stop it. Each time he did attempt to intercede, Kaman would reposition himself, and it would resume again.

Lucas leaned against the wall and drew his knees up to his chin. Kaman hadn't said much when he left the room. He just warned Lucas to stop resisting. Then Kaman grabbed his arm roughly, and before Lucas knew it, Kaman had sliced the band of his watch off his wrist with a knife and pocketed it. Lucas had stood gaping as a door was slammed in his face and a lock secured.

Resting his chin on his knees, his mind wandered. So much had happened the past week: Dr. Westphalen grounding him, the tension, arguing and unsaid words between them, him lying to Captain Bridger, stealing the Stinger, Julianna, Jayson, Captain Bridger grounding Lucas and being disappointed in him. It felt like he had lived a lifetime in a week. Tears flooded his eyes when he thought of how he angry he had felt towards Dr. Westphalen. He bit his lip in remorse as he remembered seeing the tears in her eyes and how he felt when Captain Bridger had shared with him about her crying all on account of him. An anguished look crossed his face when he thought of how upset and disappointed she had been when he had refused to speak with her. Lucas licked his lips and wiped a stray tear from his cheek. A part of him could hardly remember why he had felt so peeved with her. Yet the stubborn, prideful part of himself still knew, but suddenly, none of it seemed to matter anymore.

Captain Bridger's face flashed in his mind's eye. He thought of how angry he had been when the captain had grounded him. Lucas chewed his lip as he remembered feeling so misunderstood and hard done by. Everyone ordering him around and telling him what to do all the time had made him annoyed and irritated. The bitterness that he harbored in his heart towards Dr. Westphalen and the captain suddenly seemed to vanish. Being grounded to his room felt like child's play compared to Wise's cruelty. Never once had the captain lifted a hand to strike Lucas. Lucas never felt threatened or afraid to speak his mind. Captain Bridger always listened to him when he felt the need to talk. The man left his door open to Lucas. Anytime Lucas screwed up, Captain Bridger willingly forgave him, and more times than not didn't even bat an eyelash or lecture him. Sure, more recently the man had come down hard on him, but it was the exception rather than the rule. Lucas allowed tears to fall down his cheeks. Guilt pricked at him. He hadn't even given the captain the courtesy of an explanation. Lucas chided himself for being too damned busy wallowing in his own self-pity to give any thought to how Captain Bridger felt. Had he swallowed his pride and shared his heart then the captain would have understood why he left SeaQuest. Hell, he could have even shared with Dr. Westphalen or at least shown her the common courtesy to listen instead of just shut her down.

Lucas lay back on the bed with a groan. Witnessing life on Abalon was beginning to eat at him, making him realize how blessed he truly was. He had spent the better half of 14 years on his own with nannies, butlers, school proctors and house parents. When he came to SeaQuest, it was the first time he felt like anyone truly gave a damned about him and that he belonged to a family. Captain Bridger didn't put up with his nonsense and often put him in his place, but he also hugged him and listened to him. For the first time, he felt unconditional love. Ben treated him like a kid brother. He made time to play games with him and hang out. Miguel and Shan teased him to distraction, but they also went out of their way to make him feel like part of the team. Katie, well, if he was being honest with himself, he crushed on her pretty pathetically, but she didn't embarrass him about it. She also treated him a little like a kid brother, and she could take joke better than any girl he'd ever met. Tim and Lucas were tight, and no one else spoke geek better than Tim. Chief was tough as nails, but Lucas always could count on Crocker to have his back with the captain. A few times when Lucas had overstepped his bounds, Crocker had saved his tail. Lucas rubbed the side of his head as he felt a tension headache.

His lip quivered slightly when he thought of Dr. Westphalen again. After everything that had happened with Clemens, the doc had stuck by him. Things had been awfully confusing and scary in the beginning, but Dr. Westphalen supported him just as much as Captain Bridger. When his nightmares seemed too real, she had held his hand reminding him what was real and what was not. She hadn't been afraid to hug him and hold him even when he shoved her away. He had felt terrified, and she had sat up with him sometimes all night, reading him silly children's books and making him laugh when he wanted to cry. Even his own mother had never stayed with him when he was sick. Not once did she even come and visit him. The realization seemed to hit him like a ton of bricks. Dr. Westphalen was different; she genuinely cared for him, maybe even loved him. She made it her business to know how he felt. Plus she also made sure he had time to be a kid. He had even overheard her scold Captain Bridger for working him too hard. It had been her insistence than Lucas never work weekends. It dawned on him how much she made a huge difference…how much she and Captain Bridger and all the crew made such a huge impact on his life. Lucas blinked back more tears and slid down further in the bed, exhaustion over taking him. He felt his eyes grow heavy and droop as he drifted off, his mind on SeaQuest.