Disclaimer- All rights, lefts, norths and quite probably the souths too have been reserved already, and none in my name.
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Hope 9

I can't believe he's doing this! That poor child,he was finally feeling comfortable here!
No body answered Kristen's outburst. They were all feeling the same, there was no point in talking about it. Tony looked over at the closed door to the briefing room.
He's been in there for a long time. I wonder if any thing he's saying is getting through.
Lucas had called Lawrence earlier to try and persuade him to let him stay on seaQuest. As Tony finished talking the door clicked open and Lucas walked out. One look at his face told the crew Lawrence hadn't listened to him.
He won't change his mind, the teen said, so quietly he could barely be heard.
He said if I try to stay he'll have a direct order issued and force you to make me leave.
No one spoke. That Lawrence was giving up on his World Power obsession was a shock, but for him to be so insistent on having Lucas back had thrown them all. No one knew what to say, or how to say it. Silence reigned and no body seemed able to summon the power to break it's spell.
A small sigh escaped from Lucas and his eyes crept slowly over to the screen showing the alien ship. Then he looked back to the crew still standing in front of him, disbelief and dismay mixing on all of their faces.
I have a lot of thinking to do. I f Lawrence calls, could you tel him I'm swimming with Darwin please?
Tim nodded, still unable to capture his voice, and yet the only one to react. But Lucas had already turned away. His footsteps echoed through the narrow corridor and as the sound faded away, a feeling of tense apprehension replaced the atmosphere of shock.
You know what he's got to think about don't you? Tony asked.
No one answered him. All eyes were fixed on the deceptively small alien craft. That it could generate the power to stop seaQuest in her tracks, they already knew. Now, it seemed as though it had the power to tear her crew apart as well.
- - -

He sat back, a sigh escaping from his frowning mouth. It was only to be expected, after all, their relationship had never been the best. And he did seem to have a lot of very good friends there. But surely he could understand? All they needed was to spend a little time together to get to know each other. It was a relationship worth saving, wasn't it? Anyway, he had to try.
He sighed again, already playing through the next few days in his head. He would be upset, maybe even angry at having to leave seaQuest, but Lawrence would be patient, and one day, Lucas would realise a father and son bond works best when it's between a father and his son, not a son and a man he met on a sub.
Lawrence flinched at the white hot surge of jealousy that flared up within him. He knew, no matter how much he deluded himself, that he only wanted Lucas back because he hated the idea of Bridger taking the place of a father in his son's life. No. It was more than that.
Cynthia had told him Lucas would never see him as a father. And he wanted to prove her wrong. Nothing else to it. He knew he couldn't succeed, but he wanted to prove her wrong. Surprisingly enough, he actually wanted Lucas back in his life too.
Settling back to wait, Lawrence kept his eyes upon his comm. panel, wanting to answer as soon as Lucas called him back. All he had to do was wait, and then his son would be home again.





I know, you hate me for this being so short. But let me explain first please. It wont take long, only one word in fact. School. It has robbed me of all the spare time I have and so this was all I could manage to write. I promise I will get the next part up as soon as I can, please be patient for a while. Try occupying your mind with thinking about whether or not you really know what's going to happen next, or not!
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