Chapter Fourteen
Lex glanced at her watch. Eight-forty-five. Darwin would be coming to wake them soon. She'd been too anxious to sleep, so instead had made some very hard decisions.
A tear slid down her cheek as she gazed at Lucas' sleeping face. She wanted very much to wake up to that face for the rest of her life, but she knew she wouldn't.
There was no way she was ready to face her father yet. She couldn't brave his stern gaze, see and hear his disapproval over her. Not yet.
Lex quickly wiped her eyes as Darwin appeared, mackerel dangling from his mouth. Lucas stirred from his sleep when the dolphin banged on the glass.
"Hi," he said drowsily, turning onto his side, nuzzling Lex affectionately.
"Hi, yourself."
"Did you have a good night?"
"It was ... productive."
"Good," he chuckled, "but we've gotta get rolling. Big day today."
Lex rolled off of the bed, Lucas right behind her. His arms slipped around her waist and he hugged her tightly. "This is going to be great."
Turning in his arms, Lex reached up and captured his face in her hands. "We haven't known each other for very long, and you'll never know how much you've changed my life. You've given me back hope and a reason to be a better person, Lucas. I love you."
Lucas was taken aback by the sincerity and vehemence in her eyes. "I love you too, Lex."
"Remember that no matter what happens today, you'll always be special to me, and I'll always love you." Strong emotion choking her, Lex reached up and kissed Lucas deeply.
When they finally broke apart, Lucas leaned his forehead against hers. "Everything will work out, Lex. It has to."
Lex didn't have the heart to tell him that things rarely worked out.
Captain Bridger, Commander Ford and Chief Crocker climbed out of the launch at the small docking bay in the Vancouver Naval Port.
"Noyce! What are you doing here?" Bridger asked in surprise when he spotted his old friend.
"Well, considering the delicacy of the situation, I thought I should attend this meeting in person," Noyce replied with an amiable smile. Beside him, Lex's father Oliver shifted anxiously.
"It's good to see you, Oliver," Bridger said, shaking the pro-offered hand.
"You too," Oliver replied. "I want to thank you again for finding my little girl."
"Don't thank me. Crocker was the one who recognized her."
Oliver turned to Crocker with a slight smile. "You seem to know her better than I do."
Crocker chuckled with embarrassment. "She was such a pretty little thing, she was hard to forget. Dang near had a heart attack when I spotted her on SeaQuest."
"All the same, Manny, I owe you." Oliver regarded him solemnly.
"A cold beer'll do fine."
"Are we ready to go?" Admiral Noyce asked.
"After you." Bridger motioned for them to enter the launch.
Moments later, when the launch was on its way back to SeaQuest, Oliver was looking out the small window. "What's going on?" he asked, referring to the other launches he saw heading for the surface.
Bridger followed his gaze. "Those are cargo launches. I figured we might as well stock up while we're here."
Oliver nodded before he turned his eyes to his hands. They were clasped together tightly, the palms damp.
"You okay?" Crocker asked him softly, so as to not disturb the conversation between Captain Bridger and Admiral Noyce. Ford was at the helm.
"I'm scared stiff," Oliver replied with a short laugh. "I've faced down nuclear war heads, engaged in hand to hand combat and I haven't felt like this since I held Alexandria in my arms as a newborn."
Crocker smiled in understanding. "Can't say I blame ya, this is pretty big."
"I have so many questions for her. Why did she run away? Where has she been all these years? Why didn't she come to me?"
"Just remember to take it easy. You don't wanna spook her with a million questions. Just take your time."
Oliver sighed, barely suppressing his annoyance at the length of time it was taking them to get to the boat. "I'll try."
At long last the launch was cleared for entry and they docked inside SeaQuest. The group walked silently through the halls, rode the MagLev and finally arrived at the Ward Room.
Bridger opened the door to find Lucas standing inside, clutching a piece of paper. "Ah, Lucas! Would you bring Lex here please?"
"I can't," Lucas replied in a monotone.
Bridger frowned. "Why not?"
Lucas dropped the paper onto the table. "Because she's gone."
Lex glanced at her watch. Eight-forty-five. Darwin would be coming to wake them soon. She'd been too anxious to sleep, so instead had made some very hard decisions.
A tear slid down her cheek as she gazed at Lucas' sleeping face. She wanted very much to wake up to that face for the rest of her life, but she knew she wouldn't.
There was no way she was ready to face her father yet. She couldn't brave his stern gaze, see and hear his disapproval over her. Not yet.
Lex quickly wiped her eyes as Darwin appeared, mackerel dangling from his mouth. Lucas stirred from his sleep when the dolphin banged on the glass.
"Hi," he said drowsily, turning onto his side, nuzzling Lex affectionately.
"Hi, yourself."
"Did you have a good night?"
"It was ... productive."
"Good," he chuckled, "but we've gotta get rolling. Big day today."
Lex rolled off of the bed, Lucas right behind her. His arms slipped around her waist and he hugged her tightly. "This is going to be great."
Turning in his arms, Lex reached up and captured his face in her hands. "We haven't known each other for very long, and you'll never know how much you've changed my life. You've given me back hope and a reason to be a better person, Lucas. I love you."
Lucas was taken aback by the sincerity and vehemence in her eyes. "I love you too, Lex."
"Remember that no matter what happens today, you'll always be special to me, and I'll always love you." Strong emotion choking her, Lex reached up and kissed Lucas deeply.
When they finally broke apart, Lucas leaned his forehead against hers. "Everything will work out, Lex. It has to."
Lex didn't have the heart to tell him that things rarely worked out.
Captain Bridger, Commander Ford and Chief Crocker climbed out of the launch at the small docking bay in the Vancouver Naval Port.
"Noyce! What are you doing here?" Bridger asked in surprise when he spotted his old friend.
"Well, considering the delicacy of the situation, I thought I should attend this meeting in person," Noyce replied with an amiable smile. Beside him, Lex's father Oliver shifted anxiously.
"It's good to see you, Oliver," Bridger said, shaking the pro-offered hand.
"You too," Oliver replied. "I want to thank you again for finding my little girl."
"Don't thank me. Crocker was the one who recognized her."
Oliver turned to Crocker with a slight smile. "You seem to know her better than I do."
Crocker chuckled with embarrassment. "She was such a pretty little thing, she was hard to forget. Dang near had a heart attack when I spotted her on SeaQuest."
"All the same, Manny, I owe you." Oliver regarded him solemnly.
"A cold beer'll do fine."
"Are we ready to go?" Admiral Noyce asked.
"After you." Bridger motioned for them to enter the launch.
Moments later, when the launch was on its way back to SeaQuest, Oliver was looking out the small window. "What's going on?" he asked, referring to the other launches he saw heading for the surface.
Bridger followed his gaze. "Those are cargo launches. I figured we might as well stock up while we're here."
Oliver nodded before he turned his eyes to his hands. They were clasped together tightly, the palms damp.
"You okay?" Crocker asked him softly, so as to not disturb the conversation between Captain Bridger and Admiral Noyce. Ford was at the helm.
"I'm scared stiff," Oliver replied with a short laugh. "I've faced down nuclear war heads, engaged in hand to hand combat and I haven't felt like this since I held Alexandria in my arms as a newborn."
Crocker smiled in understanding. "Can't say I blame ya, this is pretty big."
"I have so many questions for her. Why did she run away? Where has she been all these years? Why didn't she come to me?"
"Just remember to take it easy. You don't wanna spook her with a million questions. Just take your time."
Oliver sighed, barely suppressing his annoyance at the length of time it was taking them to get to the boat. "I'll try."
At long last the launch was cleared for entry and they docked inside SeaQuest. The group walked silently through the halls, rode the MagLev and finally arrived at the Ward Room.
Bridger opened the door to find Lucas standing inside, clutching a piece of paper. "Ah, Lucas! Would you bring Lex here please?"
"I can't," Lucas replied in a monotone.
Bridger frowned. "Why not?"
Lucas dropped the paper onto the table. "Because she's gone."