Chapter 26
When Lucas entered the room in MedBay, he found Lex sitting on her bed, her long hair cascading over her shoulder and a frown on her face.
"What's wrong?" he asked, sitting on the bed beside her.
"Nothing major," Lex smiled warmly at him. He'd changed out of his uniform into a pair of faded jeans, red t-shirt and a pair of worn sneakers. Like this, he resembled the old Lucas.
"Doesn't look that way from where I'm sitting," he replied with a pointed look.
Lex looked up into the endless crystalline of his eyes She'd been trying to deny Wendy's suggestion that her father blamed himself for her fleeing, but couldn't come up with any other explanation. Sitting here, next to Lucas, feeling the heat radiating from his body, Lex realized that she wanted to confide in him, and would trust his answer.
"How long have you known my father?" she asked.
Lucas frowned but answered. "I met him seven years ago, and he's been Captain of the SeaQuest for about four years."
"Is he a very ... emotional person?"
"Emotional how?"
Lex sighed in frustration as she searched for the right words. "Does he smile and laugh when he's happy? Does he clap you on the back and tell you you've done a great job?"
"No," Lucas shook his head. "I've never seen him react like that. He just nods at you when he approves of your work."
"Then she must be right," Lex murmured to herself.
"Who? What are you talking about?"
For the next few minutes, she told him of her conversation with Wendy, and about her own confusion. Lucas listened quietly until Lex had fallen into a confounded silence.
"I think she's right too, Lex," he said softly.
"How can you be sure?"
Lucas straightened up, running his hands down his jean clad thighs. "Well, Wendy joined the crew a few months after you left, and in all the years I've known her, she's never been wrong in her empathy."
Lex bit her lip, nodding in understanding.
"But that's not the main reason I believe she's on the right track, Lex." Lucas turned to look at her, his big blue eyes shining with honesty. "I saw your Dad's face when you ran away seven years ago, and again when he found out you were back on board and hurt."
Lucas slid off of the bed and knelt in front of her. "It nearly broke him when he found out you'd slipped through his fingers again. I lost count of the number of times he watched that surveillance tape, just to see you and hear your voice."
For the first time, Lex felt compassion for her father. She'd thought all these years that he had never missed her, and had only been coming to the SeaQuest to discipline her, and take her back home. It had never crossed her mind that he would have worried or feared for her.
"Lex," Lucas continued, his voice soft and husky. "I saw him yesterday, when he was by your bedside. There was so much love in his eyes when he looked at you. I saw a side of him yesterday that I didn't know existed."
"Neither did I." Lex sighed.
Lucas gently clasped her cold hands in his. "He does believe he's the reason you ran away. He's never said so, but I see it in his eyes every time he thinks of you. You have to tell him the truth so you can stop running and start living. If not for him, then for me."
"What do you mean?" Lex frowned, looking up from their linked hands.
"Because I can't stand the thought of losing you again, Lex. It took me a long time to figure out why it hurt me so much when you left. You took a part of me with you, and I've never been the same since. But now that you're back, I feel whole again."
Lex felt her heart clench and begin to race as she watched Lucas struggle with the emotions flying across his angelic face. He swallowed nervously before finally raising wide eyes to hers. "I need you in my life. I love you more than life itself and don't think I would survive you leaving again. If you can talk with the captain, and start to heal, then I'm hoping you can stay. With me. If you can't, then I guess I'll just have to find a job off of SeaQuest."
Lex reached out and cupped his cheek gently. "No, Lucas," she said softly with a soft shake of her head. The hope died in his bright eyes and his face fell. "I could never take you away from here. It's a part of you and you'd be lost without it. I couldn't do that to you again."
Jaw clenched tightly, Lucas bent his head down. "What are you saying?"
Reaching down, she nudged his chin up, so he could see the love in her eyes. "I'm saying that it's time for me to clear things up and get on with my life."
Lucas stared at her for a heartbeat before lunging forward, gathering her in his arms and holding her tightly. Feeling the sense of rightness in his arms, Lex knew she'd made the right decision and just hoped her father would be willing to forgive her.
"Captain Hudson?" O'Neill's voice burst into Hudson's quarters through the intercom. "There's a call for you from Admiral Noyce."
"Put him though," Hudson replied as he rose from his chair and crossed the room to the screen. It flickered once and then the Admiral's face came into view. He did not look happy.
"Admiral. What can I do for you?" Hudson asked formally, standing at attention.
"At ease, Oliver," the Admiral smiled faintly, "this isn't an official call."
"Sir?" Hudson relaxed, his arms folded behind his back.
"I've spent the better part of the day on the phone with a very irate president."
"I'm sorry, sir, but-"
"It's alright, Oliver! That's not what I was calling about. Dealing with that pompous ass is the least of my worries right now."
Seeing Hudson's non-plussed frown, the Admiral elaborated with a sigh. "I'm calling to find out if the mission was successful. Was the Viper team able to retrieve the documentation?"
Hudson leaned back against his desk, bringing his arms around to cross over his chest. "They were able to get the chip, but for the moment, the information is inaccessible."
The Admiral frowned. "How so?"
"The team experienced some difficulty extracting. There was an explosion and one of the members was wounded, suffering head trauma."
"I don't see the problem-"
"The person who was injured, and who is suffering some mild amnesia at the moment, is the one who has the security code for the chip. Hopefully in time, she'll be able to recall the code."
"How long will that take?" The Admiral's frown deepened.
One of Hudson's brows rose curiously. "I'm hardly qualified to made medical guesses, Bill. I have no idea how long it could take."
"I'm sorry, Oliver," the Admiral sighed, running a weary hand down his face. "A ... situation has developed and we now have a major problem."
The Admiral leaned closer to the screen after looking cautiously to either side. Hudson's internal alarm began screaming as he watched the unusual behaviour.
"Oliver, our sources are telling us that the Macronesian government has pushed forward the date of the transactions as a result of the Viper teams invasion. We've got roughly forty-eight hours to get the information off of that chip and stop Armageddon from happening. I hate to put you into this kind of position Oliver, but you've got to find a way to get to that chip."
"I'll try my best." Oliver grimaced as he ended the call, not having the slightest clue how to go about doing what he was being asked.
When Lucas entered the room in MedBay, he found Lex sitting on her bed, her long hair cascading over her shoulder and a frown on her face.
"What's wrong?" he asked, sitting on the bed beside her.
"Nothing major," Lex smiled warmly at him. He'd changed out of his uniform into a pair of faded jeans, red t-shirt and a pair of worn sneakers. Like this, he resembled the old Lucas.
"Doesn't look that way from where I'm sitting," he replied with a pointed look.
Lex looked up into the endless crystalline of his eyes She'd been trying to deny Wendy's suggestion that her father blamed himself for her fleeing, but couldn't come up with any other explanation. Sitting here, next to Lucas, feeling the heat radiating from his body, Lex realized that she wanted to confide in him, and would trust his answer.
"How long have you known my father?" she asked.
Lucas frowned but answered. "I met him seven years ago, and he's been Captain of the SeaQuest for about four years."
"Is he a very ... emotional person?"
"Emotional how?"
Lex sighed in frustration as she searched for the right words. "Does he smile and laugh when he's happy? Does he clap you on the back and tell you you've done a great job?"
"No," Lucas shook his head. "I've never seen him react like that. He just nods at you when he approves of your work."
"Then she must be right," Lex murmured to herself.
"Who? What are you talking about?"
For the next few minutes, she told him of her conversation with Wendy, and about her own confusion. Lucas listened quietly until Lex had fallen into a confounded silence.
"I think she's right too, Lex," he said softly.
"How can you be sure?"
Lucas straightened up, running his hands down his jean clad thighs. "Well, Wendy joined the crew a few months after you left, and in all the years I've known her, she's never been wrong in her empathy."
Lex bit her lip, nodding in understanding.
"But that's not the main reason I believe she's on the right track, Lex." Lucas turned to look at her, his big blue eyes shining with honesty. "I saw your Dad's face when you ran away seven years ago, and again when he found out you were back on board and hurt."
Lucas slid off of the bed and knelt in front of her. "It nearly broke him when he found out you'd slipped through his fingers again. I lost count of the number of times he watched that surveillance tape, just to see you and hear your voice."
For the first time, Lex felt compassion for her father. She'd thought all these years that he had never missed her, and had only been coming to the SeaQuest to discipline her, and take her back home. It had never crossed her mind that he would have worried or feared for her.
"Lex," Lucas continued, his voice soft and husky. "I saw him yesterday, when he was by your bedside. There was so much love in his eyes when he looked at you. I saw a side of him yesterday that I didn't know existed."
"Neither did I." Lex sighed.
Lucas gently clasped her cold hands in his. "He does believe he's the reason you ran away. He's never said so, but I see it in his eyes every time he thinks of you. You have to tell him the truth so you can stop running and start living. If not for him, then for me."
"What do you mean?" Lex frowned, looking up from their linked hands.
"Because I can't stand the thought of losing you again, Lex. It took me a long time to figure out why it hurt me so much when you left. You took a part of me with you, and I've never been the same since. But now that you're back, I feel whole again."
Lex felt her heart clench and begin to race as she watched Lucas struggle with the emotions flying across his angelic face. He swallowed nervously before finally raising wide eyes to hers. "I need you in my life. I love you more than life itself and don't think I would survive you leaving again. If you can talk with the captain, and start to heal, then I'm hoping you can stay. With me. If you can't, then I guess I'll just have to find a job off of SeaQuest."
Lex reached out and cupped his cheek gently. "No, Lucas," she said softly with a soft shake of her head. The hope died in his bright eyes and his face fell. "I could never take you away from here. It's a part of you and you'd be lost without it. I couldn't do that to you again."
Jaw clenched tightly, Lucas bent his head down. "What are you saying?"
Reaching down, she nudged his chin up, so he could see the love in her eyes. "I'm saying that it's time for me to clear things up and get on with my life."
Lucas stared at her for a heartbeat before lunging forward, gathering her in his arms and holding her tightly. Feeling the sense of rightness in his arms, Lex knew she'd made the right decision and just hoped her father would be willing to forgive her.
"Captain Hudson?" O'Neill's voice burst into Hudson's quarters through the intercom. "There's a call for you from Admiral Noyce."
"Put him though," Hudson replied as he rose from his chair and crossed the room to the screen. It flickered once and then the Admiral's face came into view. He did not look happy.
"Admiral. What can I do for you?" Hudson asked formally, standing at attention.
"At ease, Oliver," the Admiral smiled faintly, "this isn't an official call."
"Sir?" Hudson relaxed, his arms folded behind his back.
"I've spent the better part of the day on the phone with a very irate president."
"I'm sorry, sir, but-"
"It's alright, Oliver! That's not what I was calling about. Dealing with that pompous ass is the least of my worries right now."
Seeing Hudson's non-plussed frown, the Admiral elaborated with a sigh. "I'm calling to find out if the mission was successful. Was the Viper team able to retrieve the documentation?"
Hudson leaned back against his desk, bringing his arms around to cross over his chest. "They were able to get the chip, but for the moment, the information is inaccessible."
The Admiral frowned. "How so?"
"The team experienced some difficulty extracting. There was an explosion and one of the members was wounded, suffering head trauma."
"I don't see the problem-"
"The person who was injured, and who is suffering some mild amnesia at the moment, is the one who has the security code for the chip. Hopefully in time, she'll be able to recall the code."
"How long will that take?" The Admiral's frown deepened.
One of Hudson's brows rose curiously. "I'm hardly qualified to made medical guesses, Bill. I have no idea how long it could take."
"I'm sorry, Oliver," the Admiral sighed, running a weary hand down his face. "A ... situation has developed and we now have a major problem."
The Admiral leaned closer to the screen after looking cautiously to either side. Hudson's internal alarm began screaming as he watched the unusual behaviour.
"Oliver, our sources are telling us that the Macronesian government has pushed forward the date of the transactions as a result of the Viper teams invasion. We've got roughly forty-eight hours to get the information off of that chip and stop Armageddon from happening. I hate to put you into this kind of position Oliver, but you've got to find a way to get to that chip."
"I'll try my best." Oliver grimaced as he ended the call, not having the slightest clue how to go about doing what he was being asked.