Part Three
A stifled cry jolted Nathan out of his slumber, he had only just begun to comprehend where he was when the noise repeated. "Lucas!" he exclaimed as he jumped out of bed, knocking the book he'd fallen asleep reading to the floor. Racing to the teen's room he stopped abruptly; there in the dim light found his son curled into a fetal position, arms postured as if to protect his face.
"No…no, please… I swear it won't happen again. Nooo!" Lucas moaned softly. Nathan rushed to the boy's side and gently lifted his son into his arms before settling himself and Lucas back on the bed. Lucas tried to get away from his father's touch, not yet awake from his dream. Placing his son's head on his chest, Nathan began to rock back and forth, he gently started rubbing his back whispering soothing words to calm his son. Eventually the boy's tremors slowed and Lucas' breathing took on a more rhythmic pace.
"Dad?" Was the murmur that came out of the dark.
"I'm here Lucas. It's alright, you're safe," Nathan cooed to the exhausted boy. The tension seeped out of Lucas' body as he drifted into a dreamless slumber.
'Damn!' Nathan cursed himself. He should have known this would happen after the events of the day. This was the first nightmare of this scale in months. He truly hadn't meant to frighten his son when he'd shaken the boy. A part of him wanted to wake Lucas up so that he could apologize, setting his son's fears at ease, but one look at the teenagers sleeping form cancelled that idea. 'It'll wait 'til the morning,' he convinced himself. Soon the steady rhythm of Lucas' breathing began to weave its spell as Nathan too, fell asleep.
At some point in the night Lucas must have rolled off of his father for when he awoke he was hanging over the opposite side of the bed. He almost groaned when Nathan's gentle snore caused him to realize he was not alone. His father looked haggard and exhausted, and Lucas didn't want to disturb the older man's slumber.
Dawn was a upon them and Lucas knew he wouldn't be able to sleep any more. So carefully he rose from the bed, gathered up some of the clothes he'd strewn about the day before, and silently exited the room. After changing clothes Lucas was unsure of what to do next. On one hand he wanted to wake Nathan to assure himself that it was only a dream, but on the other hand he knew it would be selfish of him to do so. After taking a quick glance at the sleeping form on the bed, he wrote his father a quick note explaining his need for a walk instead. Then ever so quietly, Lucas left the suite.
He wandered the hotel for a while, eventually ending up in the main lobby. That's when he saw the hotel's sign boasting of an exotic greenhouse garden on the roof. Avoiding the curious glances from the on duty staff, Lucas quickly headed for the MagLev.
As he stepped into the garden Lucas was amazed at the simplistic beauty it beheld. 'Living aboard a submarine definitely gives new appreciation for Mother Nature,' he mused. His nose was assaulted with scents of the many flowers and shrubs. Slowly he made his way through the stone paths, occasionally he stopped to take a closer look at an orchid or watch a bird flit from tree to tree. It was as if he was lost in another world. A world without pain, anger or shattered hopes. Here it was as if the 'real' world didn't exist, which was probably the intention of the landscaper.
Lucas was nearing the edge of the enclosed portion of the garden when a faint sniffle startled him. He'd been so sure he was alone up here. When he heard it again he decided to investigate, feeling as if someone needed him. Following the sound out to the terrace, Lucas couldn't see anyone at first until his eyes became accustomed to the growing brightness. There was a cool breeze without the protection of the greenhouse. Just as he turned to leave the sniffle repeated and Lucas spied a slight movement out of the corner of his eye.
There sitting on a piece of wall covered in foliage was a small figure of a girl, her hair almost auburn in the sunlight. Quietly and cautiously Lucas moved forward, neither wanting to intrude or startle her. She was faced away from him, and yet seemed familiar.
"Please don't come any closer," a soft voice begged.
"Alexia?" Lucas asked, speaking as quiet as she.
"G'way Lucas, I need to be alone right now," her voice gained a bit of an edge.
"You okay?" Lucas asked, noticing that the wall she was sitting on was at the edge of the building.
"Not really," she answered flatly. When he stood there in stunned silence she continued. "Surprised? Don't be, you asked remember?"
"I know. It's just that… uh…" he started bewildered as he moved closer to her, concerned about what she might do.
"Don't come any closer, I need to be alone for a while!" she repeated coolly. She twisted her body further from his view, retreating into some hanging shrubbery.
"Alexia…I…" then sighed. "If that's what you want. Just please tell me you're not going to do anything…um…you know…drastic?" He queried, stumbling for the right words.
"If you mean throwing myself off the building? No, I'm not stupid enough to do that," Alexia snapped before continuing in a barely audible voice. "Just too much of a coward."
Lucas snorted. "Not likely! Anyone who can pull of a lecture the way you did yesterday isn't a coward." Alexia turned her face to the right slightly, surprised. "I mean if it had been me I'd have probably just postponed the whole thing. Then again I'm not as good with people as you are." Then laughing at himself, "I tend to bring out the worst in them."
Alexia relaxed a little, and from what he could see of her, Lucas was convinced he'd seen a hint of a smile. "You do huh?" she inquired.
"Yeah," Lucas started blushing. "It's not that hard when you're the only teenager on a submarine."
"I suppose not," Alexia agreed, but unable to keep her amusement completely hidden.
"That's it laugh! You have like no sympathy for me huh?" Lucas mock-huffed. That did it. Alexia was practically doubled over with laughter. She couldn't help it, the semi-indignant pose, the fake offence, and all with eyes that just sparkled with mischief. "If you're going to make fun of me the least you could do is ask me to sit. I don't have to stand and take this." Then he too burst out laughing.
Alexia shifted over on her perch giving Lucas room, but didn't turn around as he settled facing inward on her right. They chuckled a few minutes more before lapsing into silence.
"Want to talk about it?" Lucas finally asked.
"'Bout what?" Was the non-committal reply.
"Whatever it is that has you so upset. I mean there's got to be a reason you came up here."
"Yours would be?" Alexia fired back.
"Oh, uh…"
"Thought so," she snorted. Then Alexia heard faintly, "a nightmare."
"Oh, sorry. Pretty much why I'm here too," Alexia offered. 'Except you get to wake up from yours, I'm living mine,' she thought.
"No biggie, it's just been a while." Lucas shrugged it off before changing the subject. "Weren't feeling well last night? Your Dad said that's why you weren't at dinner."
"You could say that. Besides I didn't want to be stuck listening to a bunch of inflated egos spout off about how great they are," she said sarcastically.
"Okay, now I know that was an insult. I just can't figure out if it's because you think I have an inflated ego, or because I had to go through that all by myself," Lucas laughed.
Alexia found his laughter contagious and started to giggle. "Maybe on both fronts," she managed to get out.
They chatted like that for what seemed to Lucas forever when one of the hotel's employees approached them. "Mr. Bridger? Ms. Grantvin?" the young man started, and continued at their nods. "Oh thank goodness, your fathers have been calling the front desk looking for you. They ask that you contact them as soon as possible." The employee then spun on his heel and left.
"Oh no, what time is it?" Alexia demanded of Lucas.
"Uh, just after 10 00 hours," he replied. 'Had he really been gone that long?'
"Cripes, I gotta go, he's going to kill me," she mutters in a panic as she swivels around, standing to leave. It's only then that Lucas saw the large purple-red bruise on her left cheek.
"Whoa! What happened?" He enquired, grabbing her wrist.
"Ow! Let go please, you don't understand, I have to go!" she fairly screeched. Lucas released her instantly upon seeing the bandage on her left wrist. Taking advantage of her freedom, Alexia took off at a run towards the MagLev.
It suddenly hit Lucas like a brick wall what had been bothering him. She was just like he was two years ago! No wonder he felt so uneasy around her dad. He was picking up the signals his own parents used to send.
Lucas snapped out of his reverie and began to chase after her. "Alexia wait! Please, I want to help."
"You can't help me, Lucas Wolenczak, no one can." She called back just before dashing into the waiting lift. Alexia turned offering out, "Some of us can't escape the way you did. I'm not sure I have the strength anymore to try, and even if I did, I don't have the right!" defeat emanating from her. The lift's doors closed before he could reach her.
Lucas could only stare at where she'd been. 'Wolenczak. She'd called me Wolenczak, not Bridger.' That was impossible, the records were sealed. The remaining traces he'd buried so deep no one should have been able to find them. 'She knows about me. But how?'
On to part four