*~*~*
"All we can do, is let it run its course and deal with the outcome." That had been Dr Westphalen's words, when Bridger had asked her what to do with Lucas. The captain knew that he didn't want to lose the boy; what he didn't know, however, was how he could possibly forbid him to leave the seaQuest… This would be one of the hardest thing ever for Bridger, probably even harder than having his son Robert declared 'Missing in field', and burying his wife Carol, because those had been things that he couldn't change, and he had gradually come to accept it. But now with Lucas? It was his decision to let the boy go back to the dolphins. True, Lucas had asked for it, but still Bridger felt like a traitor or worse. How was he supposed to ever deal with this? ... deal with the outcome. Bridger didn't think he would ever be able to do that.
...let it run its course... Well at least that part of Dr Westphalen's advice was easier to follow, and so it was exactly what Bridger did. He let the things run their course, retreating to the most detached manner he could summon until he felt more like a watcher than as a participant.
With this new distance, he kept playing the role of the perfect Captain: He gave the orders that were necessary, answered in a proper way when someone would ask what to do, and inspired the crew with his seemingly calm and unimpressed exterior. All the while he refused to let himself think about what he was going to do later, his attention firmly focused on the here and now only.
This was the only way to handle a serious crisis, that's what they'd been taught back at the academy: Never let anything personal or your emotional problems influence the necessary flow of your work. If possible avoid all and any personal interference with what you do. And if that isn't possible, distance yourself from them as far as you can, and do nothing but what your supposed to do.
Well, it was way to late now to avoid any personal interference, as his instructor had formulated it. With Lucas things had been personal from the very beginning, and Bridger had never been able to feel anything but responsible for the boy; almost like a substitute parent.
So, since the option of avoidance wasn't given, Bridger had chosen the other one instead: Creating distance. He retreated to a set of rules and regulations, until nothing could reach him anymore.
From this distance, he witnessed how the men and women of his crew flung themselves into their tasks, most of them in the attempt to follow the path that Bridger had chosen for himself. Detached, he watched how Dr Westphalen gave Lucas a last physical, and how she was pleased with the outcome of them, and their proof of Lucas' improving health. And untouched he sat his Captain's chair when the seaQuest finally reached the area where Lucas had grown up, and where they had had their first encounter with his dolphin pod. Seemingly calm, Bridger supervised how the Bridge crew used the same Sonic Signal Matching program they had used to find Darwin's pod. With the tapes they had from Lucas' pod, it wasn't too hard, only a matter of time before they would find the right pod. And truly, the third pod they checked showed to be the one they had been searching for: Sonic Signal Matching 100%. There was no doubt left possible.
It was only when Lieutenant Hitchcock announced the result that Captain Bridger allowed himself a deep sigh, the biggest sign of emotion he had shown openly during the last hours.
*
There had been only one moment in this time that Bridger's emotionless, stoical calmness had been disturbed and he had almost cracked: Sure enough, it had been when he was with Lucas. Bridger had visited the boy who had been playing with Ben Krieg and Darwin by the Moon Pool. Krieg was now again spending his entire free time with the teenager, and had even asked Commander Ford to free him from his shift on the Bridge for the time Lucas was still aboard – a wish that the Commander had granted the Lieutenant in an unexpected gesture of understanding. Bridger refused to let himself think about why Krieg had stayed away from Lucas for so long, and what had finally changed his opinion about it – the Lieutenant's reasons seemed to be too close to Bridger's own for the Captain's hard maintained peace of mind. So Bridger had simply watched the threesome play for a while, with the most different emotions running wild inside him at the sight of them, until Lucas had noticed his presence and had walked over to him, stopping directly in front of the Captain. For a long time the boy had simply looked into his eyes, waiting for some kind of reaction, or to be addressed – but nothing came. At the sight of Lucas' grey eyes and the glistening of anticipation in them, Bridger almost cracked. How was he supposed to send this boy, who had almost unnoticed managed to sneak his way into the Captain's heart that had been empty and alone for years, away for good? How was he supposed to live with this unbelievable pain inside him that surfaced as soon as Bridger only did as much as to think about what he was going to do? Just how? For a seemingly eternally long moment, he close to taking the boy in his arms, tell him everything he felt and to hell with his promise to let him go! Almost. But Bridger fought down his emotions, again, and remained still, unmoving, his fists clenched at his sides in the effort of controlling himself. When Lucas finally came to realize that Bridger wouldn't say or do something, a slight look of disappointment crossed his face, and before the Captain could change his opinion and say something, the teenager turned away and walked back to his friend and their game which he joined with a lot less enthusiasm.
*
All this rushed through the Captain's mind, the moment it became clear that they had found the dolphin pod in question. It would all end soon now. Bridger didn't know what he would do when this was over, but he knew that things would change completely for good, and nobody could do anything about it anymore.
Mechanically Bridger let the Captain mode take over for him, giving the necessary orders, before he stood up and announced that he would go and inform Dr Westphalen, Justine and most important of all Lucas. Feeling terribly numb, he walked down the corridors, automatically greeting the crew members he met on the way.
Without knowing how he had gotten there, Bridger found himself standing in his quarters, in front of the device that hosted the hologram of the Professor. What was he doing here? He had intended to go to the Moon Pool where Lucas and the others would be, so it was completely beyond him why had his feet carried him here. His mind had been so far away, had someone asked him now, he would be unable to tell which turns he had taken on his way, or whom he had met.
But then if he was honest with himself, this was exactly where he needed to be now. He wasn't fully ready, yet, to take the final step and tell Lucas that they were where he had wanted to go so desperately. Bridger longed with an incredible force to talk to the Professor once again, to let the hologram tell him that what he was doing was the right thing, the right decision. But just when he was about to press the start button of the hologram, the Captain froze in his movements. Lucas had invented this. He had built this automatically advisor. For the boy it had barely been more than a game to create it while he, Captain Nathan Hale Bridger, was depending on this machine to help him in the most difficult decisions – just like now. But was that really always the right thing? Was he really supposed to search for support and comfort in a machine? To make his decisions in a case like this, dependent of a bunch of wires and metal plates that had access to various sources of information?
Abruptly Bridger turned away. No. Nothing that the Professor would say could change what was going to happen. And nothing that he would say could make things easier for Bridger. With new determination, the Captain turned his steps towards the Moon Pool - he should have gone there in the first place!
Sure enough, he found them assembled there. Lucas and Justine were sitting on a staircase, facing each other and played a simple finger exercise while Dr Westphalen was sitting on one of the high stools at a table, writing something, most likely a medical report. Bridger waved a short greeting to Lucas and Justine. The young woman acknowledged his presence with a nod and a smile, but Lucas only sent him a short look before he returned his attention to their game.
The Captain headed over to where Dr Westphalen was seated. She looked up from her work at him, and greeted him smiling.
"Hi, how are you?"
"Fine." Bridger mumbled shortly, then he bent slightly down so that his mouth was closer to the doctor's ear. "We found them." He whispered.
"What!?! Already!?!" Dr Westphalen exclaimed before she could stop herself. Guiltily she looked over to where the two adolescents were seated. Justine's head had snapped up at her words, and she looked sharply in their direction for a moment before turning back to Lucas. The boy, however, had either not noticed it, or he had rather chosen to ignore it.
In a much lower voice Dr Westphalen continued. "And you are completely sure, Nathan?"
Bridger nodded. "Yes, absolutely."
"So the time has finally come..." The doctor mumbled. After a short pause she asked, "Do you want to tell him now?"
"I guess so. But first I wanted to hear your opinion as his doctor about it. Is he up to it?"
"Most likely. Even though I would indeed like to give him another week for recovery, I don't believe that we'd be able to keep him still for much longer..." She said.
"What do you mean?"
"He's getting restless. He's constantly asking us when he can go back to his family now."
"So he's still determined to go..." Bridger stated, looking over at the teenager. Sighing, the Captain ran his finger through his hair before he took a deep breath. "I'll go and tell him." He said determined and started walking over to the two players with Dr Westphalen in close pursuit.
"Hey, kiddo!" Bridger greeted the boy, sitting down on the stairs next to him and gave him a smile.
Lucas looked at him intently before he replied in a quiet, almost hesitant voice. "Hi."
"Listen, Lucas, I've got great news!" He told him, exchanging a short glance with Justine. "Well... great for you anyway... We found your pod, it's just outside the seaQuest."
The boy jumped up, his eyes growing wide. "Really?" He asked unbelieving.
"Yeah, I can show you if you want me to." Bridger said, an idea plopping into his mind. Lucas simply nodded eagerly. So Bridger reached for his PAL and called to the Bridge. "Mr. Ortiz, can you put a W.S.K.R transmission of the dolphin pod down here to the Moon Pool?" He requested.
"Of course, one moment please, Sir." Came Lieutenant Ortiz's immediate reply.
A few seconds later the vid screen flashed and started showing pictures of dolphins that were diving through the clear blue seawater. Lucas breathed in sharply and put a hand over his mouth. Quickly he stepped closer to the vid screen, his body shaking with excitement. Then he noticed one particular dolphin.
"Mother!" He whispered hoarsely, his voice refusing to produce any louder sound. Lucas put a hand on the screen, tracing the outline of the dolphin longingly like caressing it. Bridger could only watch the scene before him. It held an undeniable beauty: Those wonderful grey and blue animals out there; their sleek forms gliding through the water as though they were part of it, as though nothing in the world could ever harm them. And in front of the screen, the slender blonde boy, with his pale skin and grey eyes who longed for nothing more, but to be part of that harmony out there again. In this scene, time and space lost all their meaning, and the moment seemed to last forever.
After an eternity, Lucas turned around again and faced the three people standing behind him. His look scanned over Dr Westphalen and Justine before it came to rest on Bridger. Grey eyes met dark ones. Lucas was breathing heavily, obviously fighting hard to keep his self control at least partly.
"Can... can I go to them?" He asked, pleading Bridger with his eyes. The Captain was amazed by the intense burning in those clear eyes. Nobody who saw the skinny, pale boy would have guessed that he was able to hold such a passion, such an intensity!
Bridger found himself unable to turn his gaze away from those eyes, the burning in them.. Lucas was holding his breath, as were Justine and Dr Westphalen next to him, waiting for the Captain's reply. It was all in his hands now – and he knew that he wouldn't be able to turn down any request the boy might have voiced now. Taking a deep breath, the old man closed his eyes briefly before he answered Lucas.
"Yes, kiddo, you can... I'll take you there." He said.
Lucas let out his breath. A single tear rolled down his left cheek, but he was smiling as he turned back to the screen. "Hold on, wait for me; I'm coming!" He whispered to the dolphins on it.
Justine beamed, while Dr Westphalen turned away to wipe the tears away from her eyes surreptitiously. Bridger called to the Bridge once more.
"Commander Ford, have a launch prepared to go up to the surface and then have the Senior Staff assemble in Launch Bay." He ordered.
"Aye, Sir."
Bridger shut off the PAL and looked at Lucas who was staring at the dolphin's again. This was it.
'Let it run its course...'
*~*
A short while later, the entire Senior Staff was waiting in Launch Bay, ready to say their goodbyes to Lucas. Even though they wouldn't admit it, all of them had by now abandoned the illusion that the teenager might only want to visit the dolphins for a few minutes and then come back to seaQuest.
Few words were spoken while the six people were waiting. Hitchcock busied herself with preparing the launch for its start, and then checking and rechecking everything twice. Commander Ford stood perfectly straight, radiating military correctness, while Chief Crocker and O'Neil were pacing up and down the short hallway, bumping into each other every now and then, only to apologize briefly and to resume their pacing, and Ortiz was muttering to himself in Spanish. All the while Ben was sitting next to the control panels leaned against the wall staring straight ahead; of all people in Launch Bay he appeared to be the calmest, and from time to time a small smile would cross his face.
The assemble militaries stood attention when Captain Bridger came walking down the hallway, followed closely by Dr Westphalen, Justine and Lucas.
Bridger let his eyes wander over his well trained crew before he said: "At ease."
The eyes of the people of the Senior Staff were immediately drawn to Lucas. He looked unmistakably excited, and quite healthy. There was new color to his cheeks, and the boy couldn't stay still for a second. He was stepping from one foot onto the other impatiently, his hands kept playing with the ends of this clothing, and his eyes would dart around, taking in everything and everyone in Launch Bay, yet never resting anywhere for long.
"Captain, the launch is ready for departure." Hitchcock informed Bridger.
He nodded. "Thank you, Lieutenant-Commander. I want you and Lieutenant Krieg steering; you'll bring us to the surface."
"Aye, Sir."
Bridger looked around and into the faces of the Senior Staff. "You are all well aware why we are here today." He addressed them. "And I know that all of you would like to come with us", he gestured to the small group that was standing behind him, "on this trip. Sad to say that it isn't possible for me to grant you this; there wouldn't be enough room for all of us and furthermore I can't leave the seaQuest completely without a Commanding Officer. That's why I must ask you to say your goodbyes to Lucas here and now." The Captain stepped aside to give them room for their farewell.
For a moment there was an awkward silence, in which nobody knew what to say but then O'Neil took heart and walked over to Lucas, taking him by the hands.
"Goodbye, Lucas. Whatever it is that you are searching for out there, I hope and I'll pray for you that you find it! I'm glad that you were my friend." he said warm-hearted, pressing the boys hands gently. Lucas didn't reply, however, he fixed his eyes on O'Neil and smiled gratefully. Next Ortiz took his turn and stepped forward. He held his hands up in front of him, clearly unsure what to do and how to handle this, and was searching for the right words. Finally he gripped the boy's shoulders and gave him a friendly shake.
"You watch out for yourself out there, will ya, buddy? Don't get yourself in any trouble – if that's possible for you at all... Good luck!" Ortiz said in a rush then gave the teenager a quick, unsure hug. Again Lucas merely smiled at him, but it was enough for the Lieutenant to know that he had done well enough, so he smiled back gratefully as he stepped back again.
Farewells like this were hard for Chief Crocker; he simply wasn't used to big shows of emotions like this, maybe it was because he had been in the military for too long to know anything else. So he just clasped Lucas round the shoulders while he told him: "I can really say that I am proud to have served with you, son, you are a great person. This boat will miss you greatly, and I dare say that things will never be the same without you." Then he let go of the teenager again, taking out a big red handkerchief and blowing into it noisily.
Bridger could see that Lucas was getting restless again. His eyes were darting around the room again, and he was unable to keep his hands still; he was simply anxious to get out to his family. Yet, there was still Ford to say goodbye.
The tall, dark-skinned man was standing in front of Lucas in all his height and glory. For a long moment he simply watched the boy, taking in his features fully a last time. Lucas simply looked back at him, by now positively curious what the Commander was going to do (as was the rest of the assembled crew). Eventually Ford let out his breath.
"What am I to say now?" He asked. "Everything is already said. The entire boat will miss you dearly, and I hope that you're gonna watch out for yourself and find what you are looking for." So far so good, but what the Commander did next surprised everybody who was present – from the look on his face Lucas as much as any other – for Ford bent forward and pulled the boy in a warm hug. Silently so that only Lucas could hear it, Ford whispered in his ear. "You know that I will miss you a lot; the friend in you just as much as the annoying brat you can be!" The teenager nodded and Ford stepped backwards. With his usual grim expression he looked around as if daring anyone to make side remark about his behavior. But nobody would have done so anyway, they were deeply impressed and surprised by the Commander's display of emotions.
For a minute or two there was silence. Then Captain Bridger cleared his voice.
"Thank you all. I think it's time that we... catch our shuttle. Lieutenant." He gestured towards the hatch doors, and Ben nodded. Pressing a button he opened the hatch doors and climbed down into the shuttle, followed by Dr Westphalen and Justine. Just when Lucas was about to climb down the ladder a call stopped him.
"Lucas!" He turned around to find his friends from the Senior Staff lined up by rank, saluting to him – the absolute gesture of honor and respect in the military.
Lucas looked at them for a moment, then he smiled and whispered "Thank you; thank you all, for everything..." With this he turned round again and climbed down the ladder, disappearing from the Senior Staff's sight. After Captain Bridger and Hitchcock had followed him the hatch closed, and a moment later the officer responsible for the mini-subs announced that the shuttle had departed.
This left the four remaining people from the Senior Staff with nothing else to do but to get back to their ordinary work. But already it felt for them like an important part was missing. A part that was unlikely to ever return to them. In silence they left the Launch Bay, everyone deep in his own thoughts and unwilling to talk right now.
*~*
The atmosphere was tense in the mini-sub on the way up to the surface. Few words were spoken; nobody was in the mood for conversation now. Hitchcock was steering, assisted by Ben, and focused her attention on her momentary task only. Captain Bridger and Dr Westphalen were sitting next to each other on the bench at the side of the shuttle. Opposite of them Justine and Lucas were seated. Justine had put her arm round the boy's shoulder, and he was leaning on her comfortably, enjoying her nearness.
Of all people in the sub, Justine appeared to be the calmest. A small smile was playing upon her lips. Bridger guessed it was because she had been prepared for a situation like this from the very beginning when she met Lucas. For her, Lucas going back into the ocean had been foreseeable, and she had accepted and welcomed the thought. Bridger wondered briefly what it was that made the idea of a fifteen year old living in the ocean with a dolphin pod so much less inconceivable for the young woman. Was it simply because she was part of a different generation than he was; a generation that simply accepted supernatural things as given and precious? After all, Lucas hadn't had the slightest problem with having a bunch of aliens aboard the seaQuest, and had even tried to make friends with them.
Whatever it was, the Captain envied Justine for it now; envied her for the natural and warm way she was able to treat Lucas at this moment. For he himself was still fighting as to how he was to handle the boy now. On the one hand he wanted to take Lucas in his arms, and on the other hand he felt that there was something between them that he couldn't overcome. Bridger was so lost in his own thoughts that he never noticed how time passed.
And before he knew it, Lieutenant Hitchcock announced that they had reached the surface, and they climbed into a speedboat that was attached to the shuttle. The speedboat would take them the last few yards towards the dolphin pod.
The boat was almost too small to contain six people, but they had decided that it would be the easiest solution for Lucas to get into the ocean and for them all to say goodbye to him. It wasn't exactly comfortable and easy to climb out of a shuttle, when there was no port to dock at and it was certainly not designed for farewells. So they all squeezed themselves into the speedboat. It was a pleasant day, the sun was shining down brightly with not a single cloud in sight. Above their heads the seagulls were screaming, and a clear breeze, with the strong scent of the seawater was blowing about their heads from the fast movement of the boat. Next to their boat, Darwin was swimming at highspeed, every now and then jumping out of the water. It hadn't been necessary to explain him where they were taking Lucas and why; the animal understood instinctively. Maybe he understood better than anyone else aboard the seaQuest.
Suddenly they spotted a movement in a distance, and soon they discover that it was the dolphin pod. And it came swimming directly towards them. Dolphins jumped out of the water, doing almost acrobatic flips and turns, and whistled a joyous greeting. Lucas grew very excited as soon as he saw and heard them. He stood up to have a better view, even though Dr Westphalen tried to hold him down in fear that he might fall out of the boat.
This was his family, he recognized them!
When they weren't very far away from the pod, Hitchcock stopped the engines of the speedboat and let it drift a few more feet. Soon the dolphins had reached them and surrounded the boat. Their whistles and clicks filled the air, and the younger animals did some more spectacular stunts and jumps to get their visitors' attention.
Darwin was also greeted friendly by the pod. It was a normal thing for them that every now and then a new dolphin would come to the pod, if it was only to play for a while or to stay and swim with them for a longer time. But the animals sensed that this one would only stay for a very short time – he already had a pod that he belonged to. But there was another being with a dolphin mind in that boat with humans, and he was here to stay.
Lucas wasn't simply smiling, he was beaming, with his smile spreading from one ear to the other. His eyes were sparkling, and he had tears of joy in them. The boy bent over the edge of the boat, putting his hands into the water. Gently he stroked the dolphins that brushed past his hands.
His mother, his aunt, his sister which he had so far only met one time – when he was last 'visiting' his dolphin family. Lucas felt an incredible sense of warmth and happiness wash over him; they all recognized him and welcomed him back in the family. The teenager produced a tone in the upper part of his chest; a tune that became a picture for his mother, showing her all the love and happiness he felt. And his mother answered him the same way; sending him her feelings as well.
The five adults in the speedboat were completely unaware of how much was exchanged between Lucas and the dolphins in this short time. They just stood and watched their young friend in silence. They were once more fascinated by the sounds, the whistles and clicks, that Lucas produced from his nose and the back of his throat which the boy's friends couldn't even try to imitate. Yet it was obvious that the dolphins understood them, and that Lucas understood the animals. But even without any knowledge of 'Dolphinese', as some people would call it, it was clear to the five that what they were witnessing was a scene of reunion. All of them were finding a huge smile creeping to their faces at the sight of Lucas. It would have been impossible not to smile at a scene like this: A happy family reunion with an overjoyed teenager and dozens of high spirited dolphins.
Lucas' mother whistled her song; the tunes that were unique for each single dolphin. Her song spoke of the life in the ocean, of the night when Lucas came into the ocean and became part of them, of the day he was taken away and of the time after it, without him. Lucas answered her with his own song, a song that had once been the same as hers. But Lucas had changed, and so had his song. It told about the boy's time with the dolphins and his life in the ocean like it did before, but now it also contained the time when the humans took him away. The song spoke of Lucas' time with the humans, of the people he had met, of all the places he had been to, of the things he had seen and learned, and of the feelings he had. His friends and what they showed him, their love for him, but also the loneliness he felt inside, and his longing for the ocean; all this was part of Lucas' song now.
For a long time the teenager was completely occupied by his mother, forgetting completely about his friends that were still in the boat with him. The five stood in silence, just watching Lucas and the dolphins. Some of the younger animals had lost their wavering interest in the boat already, and were playing with each other again in a short distance from the boat. Others were drifting idly in the water, letting the movement of the sea carry them where it would. Darwin, however, always stayed close to the boat, watching his friend Lucas. It was getting warmer and warmer, with the sun shining down brightly on the strange assembling of people and animals.
Captain Bridger didn't know how much time had passed; he hadn't brought a watch and there didn't seem to be the need to keep track of time. After what seemed to be an eternity or only a few moments, Lucas turned to him again. In his story he had just reached the part where his friends of the seaQuest – Commander Ford, Lieutenant O'Neil, Lieutenant Ortiz and Chief Crocker – had said their farewells to him and he had come here. It was time to see how the story was to continue; it was time to go home...
Lucas looked at the Captain intently, searching his eyes.
"Let me go into the water." He simply said in a soft, yet raw voice – like his vocal chords already weren't used to this kind of sound anymore. Bridger just stared back at him. "Let me go." Lucas said again.
It was Dr Westphalen who replied. "No, I can't do it." She said.
Lucas turned to her. "Please, Dr Westphalen. Let me go into the ocean."
"No, Lucas! The dolphins can swim away and let you drown; they can turn away."
"They won't leave me, they won't turn away", the boy replied seriously. "I know them, they are my family."
The doctor said "I'm afraid! What if you die in the water, Lucas?"
"I'm not going to die! Dr Westphalen, please let me go into the water." The teenager pleaded her with his eyes, but Dr Westphalen looked aside, avoiding his gaze.
Lucas looked around, looking at the people in the boat; his friends. Katie looked aside as well, feeling that she didn't have the right to interfere with this – she was not quite as close to Lucas as the others were. Captain Bridger, Justine and Ben were looking back at Lucas, but none of them said something. Nobody had quite the guts to do so.
The boy's hands started trembling and tears welled up in his eyes, but he held them back. Behind him, he felt the presence of his mother, giving him strength, a kind of strength he had missed for months, even though he didn't know when exactly his own had left him. Lucas heard the sound of the sea, slapping against the side of boat, the cries of the seagulls above his head. He felt the sun on his skin, its warm touch that was never tangible, yet always there. He just stood there and looked at his friends, the best friends he ever had apart from his dolphin family.
It was Ben who spoke up after an eternity like that. He stepped forward, and took Lucas' hands in his. Taking a deep breath, he looked into the boy's eyes and said:
"I'll let you go."
Lucas felt incredible relief wash over him. He closed his eyes and bent down his head; a single tear was sliding down his cheek. Ben folded him in his arms and just held him for a moment, closing his eyes as well. There was no need for any more words between the two of them. They just stood there, Lucas' head against Ben's chest, knowing that they shared something that went beyond ordinary friendship.
When the Lieutenant let go of Lucas, Katie was the next to say her goodbye to him. She hugged him, then held him at arm length by his shoulders.
"I'll miss you." She said simply, her ice blue eyes burning into his. Lucas merely nodded. There had been a time when he desired this woman, and would have done anything to make her hold him like she just did – but at some point in the last months, fierce emotions had lost all meaning to him, and so the teenager was able to receive this gesture as a simple sign of friendship.
Then there was an awkward moment when Dr Westphalen stepped over to Lucas. She didn't know what to say to him – after all, she was the one who would have refused to let the boy go. If she was honest to herself, she still wanted to do it, even though she had been the one to tell Captain Bridger to let things run their course. Now that she was directly confronted with it, it simply stroke her as impossible to let a fifteen year old life in the ocean with a pod of dolphins. For a moment, it seemed as though she was going to contradict Ben's promise, as though she would try to make Lucas stay. But then she gulped hard and shook her head to clear it of those thoughts. And as she embraced him fiercely, the boy just hugged her back, showing her that he didn't reproach her earlier behavior.
"I just hope you know what you are doing, Lucas!" The doctor whispered in his ear. She had long since abandoned any attempts to keep her tears from flowing, and sobbed only more when she felt Lucas nod, and then free himself carefully from her grasp.
With Justine saying her farewell, it was completely different. She staggered over to the teenager, clearly not used to the swaying movement of the boat, and stopped in front of him, smiling. The two looked into each other's eyes for a moment, and then Lucas literally jumped into Justine's arms. For a long time they just held each other, burying their faces in the hair of the other one. From his angle, Ben could see that Justine's lips were moving but he couldn't make out the words. But the way Lucas seemed to relax in the young woman's arms, told the man enough about how close the two of them were. What awed him the most, was how Justine managed to smile like she did: True, lips were shaking with emotions, but her smile was a wide, honest one, that showed that was really happy for the boy.
After several minutes, they finally let go of each other, with Justine whispering a last thing to Lucas. She caressed his face and he closed his eyes, savoring the feeling, and nodded.
Then Lucas turned to the last one remaining in the boat. Captain Bridger. The Captain had been standing in the back of the boat, watching the scenes unfolding in front of him. When the teenager turned towards him at last, he didn't move; he wanted to, but his body didn't seem to obey his will. He just stood there and stared at the boy who was simply looking back at him. Dark eyes gazed into grey ones. And in Lucas' eyes, the Captain could see so many emotions displayed, could see how much the boy wanted him to reach out for him.
At this, something inside Bridger cracked, and he felt the shell in which he had imprisoned his feelings break; it was like a spell had been lifted from the Captain. He rushed forward to embrace the boy, and Lucas welcomed and returned the hug warmly. Bridger was breathing heavily as he drove his hands through the teenager's hair and stroked his back.
"Oh, kiddo..." he groaned but said nothing apart from that. This just wasn't the time for big words.
Lucas leaned his head against the Captain's shoulder and closed his eyes, simply feeling the elder man's nearness and the warmth emanating from him – both physically and mentally. It was only after several minutes that Bridger slowly let go of him, clearly reluctant to do so.
Next to the boat Darwin whistled and the teenager smiled. It was time to go now. Lucas leaned over the edge of the speedboat and patted the dolphin's melon. Then he turned to his friends in the boat again, looking at them expectantly. Captain Bridger looked at him with a very serious expression.
"And you are absolutely sure you want to do this, kiddo?" he asked.
Lucas nodded. "This is my family, my home." He said gesturing towards the dolphins and the open sea.
"I see... Well, then... go... Goodbye, kiddo." Bridger hugged him shortly round the shoulders again, then gave him little push towards the side of the boat.
In silence the five adults watched how Lucas climbed over the edge of the boat, and let himself slide into the water, casting his friends a long, last look. He was wearing a diving suit which had been cut on his upper arm and just above his knees. Ben was willing to bet that the boy would get rid of it sooner or later, but for now it was a good compromise – nothing offensive and nothing that would hinder him in swimming.
Lucas savored the feeling of being back in the ocean, surrounded by his family. The dolphins brushed past him, supporting him. The water had pleasant temperature, and its salty taste was another part of the boy's long missed home. The blue depth beneath him was just as inviting to Lucas as ever.
Darwin gently bumped into Lucas' side, signaling that he wanted to say goodbye to him too. The teenager stroked the dolphin, feeling the familiar touch of his skin that was like rubber. Lucas produced a series of tones that showed Darwin his feelings – happiness because he was with his family, sadness because he was leaving his friends. The animal understood and returned the gesture. He was unhappy to lose his friend, but he understood his need to be with his family as well.
With their farewells said, Darwin dived under Lucas, signaling him to grip his dorsal fin, and then pulled him through the water, like he had done countless times on seaQuest. They cut through the water like a knife through butter. Lucas enjoyed every second of it, the touch of the flowing water upon his skin, the nearness of his dolphin friend. Eventually Darwin pulled him back to his family, and with a last whistle of goodbye, left him in their mid. The teenager sent a last look at Darwin and his friends in the boat, before he concentrated on his family surrounding him.
Ever so slowly the dolphins began putting some distance between themselves and the boat with the strange humans, and Lucas let himself be pulled by them away. His mind was too occupied with the reunion with his family right now, to think of his human friends anymore.
The five people in the speedboat in turn, were watching the boy's distancing form intently. They saw him diving with the dolphins, being pulled by some of the animals – pulled away from them. They could make out the smile on Lucas' lips.
No words were spoken in the boat, the only sounds coming from Dr Westphalen's and Hitchcock's occasional sobs. The two women were crying openly, and Bridger and Ben had tears in their eyes as well. Only Justine's face was untouched, like a mask of stone, as she refused to let her emotions show. She hadn't cried in public for as long as she could remember, and she wouldn't change that now either.
It was a strange atmosphere. The sun was burning down mercilessly by now, and it was constantly getting hotter. There were only few seagulls flying in the air now, and their occasional cries sounded isolated, as did the splashes of the waves against the walls of the boat. In the distance the dolphins were swimming happily with Lucas in their mid, edging each other on with daring jumps and flips; their whistles and clicks filling the ocean. The humans in the speedboat were standing in silence, watching their young friend with his family. Waiting and praying for him to change his mind and come back to them.
Lucas was simply enjoying being part of the dolphin family again. Their soft touches, showings of affection and love for him, how he had missed it! 'There's no place like home!' he thought. He could feel the dolphins' sonar vibrating through him, with which they felt for his health, and for his feelings as well. It felt so good to be back.
But then Lucas was suddenly gripped by an incredible feeling of loss, and he had to turn around to look at the boat that was floating on the surface of the sea. His friends were still there, watching him.
The boy forced himself to look away again, to keep swimming and diving with his family. But he had to remember... Remember the time he spent with those humans...
He remembered the time when he and Hitchcock had built that highspeed minisub together. The Stinger as Lucas insisted to call it. The Gazelle as Hitchcock would call it.
He remembered his discussions with Dr Westphalen. They could discuss anything; from science to music, and from Lucas' eating habits to the ideal activities during a shore leave.
He remembered the countless pranks he had pulled with Ben; their ideas to tick off Commander Ford; the poker nights; Ben's whining about the genetically 'improved' food, and way the Lieutenant could make him laugh no matter how bad his day had been.
He remembered Justine, all the support she gave him during his time at the institute, at college and at the seaQuest; the way her green eyes shone, and how she could understand him without a word.
And he remembered Captain Bridger; their talks about science and the need for obedience sometimes; how Lucas had made fun of him for using hand signal to communicate with Darwin; how Bridger treated him like an equal rather than like a child; how the Captain had told him about his wife and his son, and how deeply he trusted Lucas, even though the boy didn't quite know how he deserved this kind of trust.
The memories were so fierce and strong, they almost made Lucas turn around and swim back to the boat; made him almost leave the family he had longed to be with for such a long time.
Almost...
*~*~*
