Chapter Eight

"What's wrong?" Lucas asked, frowning as he stood beside the moon pool. Lex remained frozen in the doorway.

"What is that?" she asked between clenched teeth.

Lucas' blue eyes darted down to the pool before returning to Lex. "It's just a small pool. You're okay, the water won't hurt you."

Lex's eyes widened. Lucas had just voiced her worst fear. As if sensing her distress, Lucas slowly crossed the room, coming to stand in front of her, his blue eyes looking into hers. "I saw the tape, Lex," he said softly.

"And you brought me here?!" Distrust began to shine in her eyes.

"To be honest, I didn't think about it. But it won't hurt you. I promise."

Lex's shoulders sagged, her expression suddenly weary. "You can tell me that until you're blue in the face, Lucas, it won't change anything."

Lucas' reply was spoken so softly, Lex had to strain to hear it. "I wish it would."

Lex stared at him, searching for the usual mockery she saw over her weakness. All she could see was sincerity. Was it possible that he could be different? Could he see past all of her flaws and care about what was left?

"Lucas play?"

Lex jumped at the childlike electronic voice echoing in the room. "What was that?"

Lucas grinned. "Darwin."

"A computer?"

"A dolphin."

"Dolphins don't talk," Lex laughed.

"This one does."

At Lex's dubious glance, he crossed over to the pool and pointed to the small window in the side. Sure enough, the black eye of a dolphin was peering out at her.
"Lucas have new friend?" said the voice again.

Lucas picked up the vocorder, pressed a key and spoke into the unit. "Yes, Darwin, her name is Lex."

"Lex play?"

"Not in this lifetime," Lex muttered, eyeing the water. Lucas grinned.

"Not today. Lex is afraid of water," he said into the yellow box.

"Why? Water good!"

"It's ... hard to explain," Lucas shrugged.

"Lucas play instead?"

"Not right now."

Ignoring Lucas' reply, Darwin swam away, returning a moment later with a bright pink ball, which he tossed at Lucas' head. Lucas ducked away, laughing, and the ball came to rest at Lex's feet.

Heart pounding, Lex picked it up and very slowly crossed the room, Darwin watching and waiting patiently. She stopped about two feet away from the edge of the pool. She just couldn't bring herself to get any closer.

She tossed the ball into the water, and Darwin immediately turned and chased it. He pushed it back to the pool with his nose, where he tossed it back to her again. Grinning slightly, Lex once again threw the ball.

Lucas watched in silence as the game continued and Lex began to relax. Joy and wonderment replaced caution and distrust in her eyes, her pink lips parting in laughter as she now reached to catch Darwin's ball as it sailed over the edge, dripping wet.

So engrossed in her game of catch with the comical dolphin, Lex didn't realize she had gradually drawn closer to the edge until her foot bumped the wall of the pool. She froze, her breath heaving in ragged gasps.

Lucas stood immediately on her right side, his right hand gently grasping her wrist, his left rubbing her back in slow circles.

"Easy," he said softly, " you're fine. I won't let anything happen to you."

Darwin watched curiously from the pool.
Lex tore her gaze away from the water to look at him. He must have seen the disbelief in her eyes. "I'm not like them," he said, referring to the others on the tape. "I won't abandon you when you need me."

Again, nothing but honesty shone in his bright eyes, and Lex found herself believing him. He wouldn't leave her to her fate without a fight. Somewhere deep within her soul, the wall she'd built around her heart so long ago began to crack.

Lucas smiled. " I think that's enough hydrotherapy for today. I don't know about you, but I'm starving."

Lex nodded, frowning when she felt a sense of loss as he drew his hands away and led the way out of the room. Choosing to ignore it, she shook her head and followed him.