"Why would he take the Stinger?" asked Kristin, with concern.

"The hell if I know. At first I thought it was a silly prank, but now I'm not so sure. I tried to call him but he was very vague. How close are you to SeaQuest? He stole my damned security pass. I'm thinking that's where he's headed."

"I'm not far away, but that makes no sense, Nathan. Why SeaQuest? He could have invited Nick to the Island, couldn't he?" she asked, trying to make sense of Lucas' odd behaviour.

"I wouldn't have said no if he asked," answered Nathan. Damn kid always had trouble asking for permission, he thought to himself. Lucas had this habit of just barreling ahead and accepting the consequences later when he could just ask permission and save himself the trouble. Nathan heard Kristin sigh loudly in exasperation. She was just as perplexed as he was.

"Have you seen any of the crew around at all?" queried Nathan.

"No, I haven't. Truthfully, I've been keeping to myself this time around. I've mostly been reading by the pool. Even if I had seen them, I wouldn't have seen them if you know what I mean," said Kristin, almost apologetically. Nathan understood what she was saying. Part of the reason he came to his island as much as he could was to avoid everyone and everything and just have some downtime. They all needed to have some time to just kick back and relax. Nathan wished he could just kick back and relax too, but now every muscle in his body was tense with worry and concern. "Nathan, do you suppose we should just let him have his little rebellious moment tonight? I mean, how much trouble can he get into on SeaQuest? She is dry docked after all." Nathan groaned and ran his hands through his hair in annoyance. What he really wanted to do was go to SeaQuest and put the damned kid over his knee.

"I can't put my finger on it, Kristin, but my gut tells me something's wrong. Last night he had another night terror and before that he broke a lamp…"

"Broke a lamp?" questioned Kristin. "What happened?"

"I'm not sure, and he had such an ugly on that I didn't push it. Then that night terror had him so angry that he was beside himself. I ended up failing asleep in a chair in his room for fear he'd have another, but he didn't. When I woke up this morning, he had already gone to swim with Darwin. After lunch, he just avoided me. I had intended on talking with him this afternoon, but he was gone. Damn that kid," Nathan's fist hit the table again in utter annoyance. Kristin jumped in spite of herself when she heard the bang. She could tell how frustrated Nathan was to be stranded and unable to get to Lucas. She wracked her brain for an idea to help.

"Nathan," began Kristin, suddenly having an idea. "Wasn't Jonathan Air force before he was Navy?" Nathan felt a smile creep across his face. Of course, why hadn't he thought of it? Jonathan could get him. Nathan just hoped that he would be able to reach the man. Like all of his crew, Jonathan tended to go missing for his shore leave. He wasn't even sure where Jonathan went when he had time off. The man had no family close by, so Nathan was at a lost to know what the man would be doing.

"Brilliant, Kristin. Let me try to contact Jonathan."

"Okay, Nathan, but please promise me you won't be too hard on Lucas. He's not himself at all," stated Kristin, almost pleading with him. Nathan felt his irritation rise as he thought of all the things he'd like to say and do to the teenager.

"He can't just take off like that and expect to get away with it."

"Nathan Bridger," Kristin reprimanded. Nathan stopped talking and listened to the irritation in her voice. "Lucas needs our understanding and patience right now, not our admonishments. He's been through a very traumatic experience." Nathan groaned.

"Kristin," began Nathan. He heard her cluck her tongue, and he resigned himself to the fact he wouldn't win the conversation. He sighed in resignation. "I'm going to call Jonathan now. I'll be in touch, ok?" They said their goodbyes, and Nathan closed his cell phone. "Damn fool kid," muttered Nathan as he dialed Jonathan's number.

On the beach in Miami

Jonathan Ford sat on his beach chair listening to the waves hit the shore. It was a wonderful, beautiful peaceful sound that he cherished. He had been trying to concentrate on reading a fiction book like his sister, Jenny, had suggested. The peaceful sound had captured his attention, and he relished it, but part of his mind was on his younger sister. Jenny Ford had been on Jonathan's back to relax and read on shore leaves ever since they were in the academy together. Jenny was the outgoing Ford child, while Jonathan was more reserved. Jon always made sure to call her when he was on dry land. He liked to check in with her once and awhile and make sure she was okay. She was a widow with two children. Her husband had been killed in the line of duty 10 years ago. Jonathan always felt like he should check in on her and the girls to make sure things were okay. Jenny was one tough woman. The sudden ring of his cell phone startled him; he reached into his pocket and answered it.

"Jonathan?" came a brisk voice.

"Captain? Is everything alright?" inquired Jonathan, feeling his heart rate speed up. It was highly unusual for the Captain to contact him during shore leave. Something must be wrong.

"Think you can call in a few favors, and pick me up on my Island?"

"Captain," replied Jonathan, in confusion. Nathan proceeded to fill Jonathan in on all that had happened including being stranded because of Lucas stealing the Stinger. Jonathan's mouth gapped in surprise. It was unbelievable to Jonathan for a kid to be so sneaky. It was out of character for Lucas even if the teenager was a tad annoying sometimes. He never went out of his way to be overtly rebellious.

Jonathan ended the call and proceeded to make plans to pick up Captain Bridger as quickly as possible. It was obvious to Jonathan that the captain had reached the end of his last nerve with Lucas. Jonathan was relieved he wouldn't be on the receiving end of the captain's wrath. He would have hated to be in Lucas' shoes right now.

Dream Sequence

The Stinger

Lucas sat intently inputting some data into the computer on the bridge. Everyone seemed to be engrossed in their work when Captain Bridger entered followed by Martin Clemens. Clemens was dressed in a SeaQuest security uniform. Lucas looked up and gasped when he saw the man. He rose from his chair and strode up to the Captain, carefully watching Clemens out of the corner of his eye.

"Why is Clemens here, sir?" asked Lucas, feeling frightened. Captain Bridger looked at Lucas oddly.

"He works here, Lucas. You know that! Quit playing around and get back to work!" stated the Captain in irritation. Lucas' mouth dropped open in surprise.

"B-but how? What does he do?" stammered Lucas.

"For Pete's sake. Lucas, what's gotten into you?" reprimanded the Captain, redirecting Lucas back to his chair and firmly forcing him to sit down. Lucas instantly jumped up and faced the captain again.

"But, sir," insisted Lucas. The captain looked irritably at him.

"Lucas, go to your quarters." Lucas looked confused and continued to try and convince the captain to listen to what he was saying. The captain looked more agitated and annoyed as Lucas continued his persistence. All at once, the captain turned to Clemens and shouted orders. "Chief Clemens, escort Lucas to his room." Lucas' eyes widened in fear and trepidation as Clemens approached him portentously. Clemens strode over wrapping his hands around Lucas' neck strangling him with amusement in his eyes. Lucas screamed.

The scream echoed inside the Stinger waking Lucas up instantly. Lucas blinked his eyes a few times and attempted to remember where he was. He rubbed his face with his hands trying to clear his head. Why did his dreams continue to assault him? He had confided in Captain Bridger. The dreams were supposed to stop now. What else did he have to do to make them dissipate? How much longer would he continue to be strangled in his dreams? A loud knocking notice startled him, and he turned to see where it was coming from. Lucas smiled slightly when he saw Nick's face peering in at him. Lucas motioned for Nick to back up as he raised the top on the Stinger. The cool air drifted in, and Lucas shivered realizing his shirt was wet with perspiration. His dream had left him in a pool of sweat again. Once they had sneaked onto SeaQuest, he'd need to find his way to his room so he could change.

"Are you okay, Lucas?" said Nick, noticing Lucas damp hair and pale face. Lucas nodded and wiped his face with the back of his sleeve.

"I'm fine. C'mon, let's go." Nick nodded and followed Lucas as he ran towards the dock.

Nick watched in awe as Lucas managed to slip past the strict security guards with ease. He showed them the security badge, and not one of them asked any questions. They all knew Lucas and seemed perfectly at ease letting him onboard SeaQuest. Nick couldn't believe how easy it was despite how heavy the security was surrounding the boat. Once on board, Nick followed Lucas to his room. Neither boy said a word as they walked. Both seemed lost in their own thoughts. Lucas pulled off his damp shirt and pulled on a dry one. He sat down on his bunk and motioned Nick to sit as well. Nick sat back and looked round the room with interest.

"This is your room, man? Dude, it's a freakin broom closet with ducts," commented Nick with a laugh. Nick noticed the aqua duct behind Lucas and pointed at it. "What's with the water INSIDE the sub?"

"Darwin has access to the whole ship. He can swim anywhere he wants. Most of the time, he tends to hang out right there watching me," laughed Lucas. "It's not that bad, Nick, besides everyone else but a few senior staff have to share quarters. I'm thankful for this broom closet." Nick nodded with skepticism written on his face. Lucas rested his head on the wall behind him and brought his knees up to his chest. Just then Nick's cell rang.

"Probably my dad, one sec," said Nick, pulling the phone out of his jacket and glancing at the number. The colour in his face drained when he glanced down.

"Mycroft!"

"Don't answer it!"

"Lucas, he's not going away. Let's just deal with this now and be done with it, alright?" Lucas sat forward shaking his head. Nick ignored his friend and answered the ringing cell. "What do you want?" he demanded.

Lucas watched Nick's face as he listened. His friend's face was pale, and he didn't say a word. Lucas couldn't hear what was being said, but the look of terror on Nick's face spoke volumes. Nick looked at Lucas with his eyes wide. He mouthed something to Lucas, but Lucas couldn't make it out. Nick put his finger on the mouth piece and stared at Lucas momentarily.

"Julianna," Nick muttered almost in a whisper. Lucas frowned and felt his pulse speed up. What did she have to do with Mycroft?

"What about her?" demanded Lucas.

"He's got Julianna." Lucas' eyes widened, and he grabbed the phone from Nick passionately.

"Where's Julianna?" Lucas demanded.

"Lucas, my friend. What a pleasure! Nick hadn't mentioned you were together. This is very handy indeed. Want to say hello to someone?" Lucas listened as he heard muffled voices on the other end of the line.

"L-Lucas?" stammered a soft, frightened voice.

"Julianna? Are you okay? Did he hurt you?" Lucas felt his heart racing in his chest as he heard Julianna softly sniffling on the other end of the phone. Lucas could tell by the sound on her wavering voice that she was frightened.

"She's fine, Lucas. I assure you. I just want to talk, and Julianna was my insurance that you would."

"Damn it, Clemens! What do you want?"

"The UEO is breathing down my neck, kid. I need to know what you said to them! We had a deal! I kept my end. What the hell are you doing?"

"You almost killed me…"

"What did you tell them?" hissed Clemens, losing patience.

"Nothing! I told them nothing," insisted Lucas.

"Where are you?" demanded Mycroft. Lucas listened as he heard Julianna crying in the background. His heart was aching for her. He didn't trust that Mycroft wouldn't hurt her or worse.

"Don't hurt her," pleaded Lucas, blinking hard to keep his own tears from falling.

"Where are you?" he repeated. Lucas heard Julianna scream. Lucas felt his heart racing in his chest. He cringed when he heard her cry out his name.

"Please, Mycroft, don't hurt her," begged Lucas. "I'm on SeaQuest. It's dry docked at Port Everglades." Lucas heard the phone click as the man hung up. Lucas looked at Nick. His mouth was dry. His hands were cold with fear.

"He's coming to SeaQuest." muttered Lucas. Nick put his head in his hands miserably. Lucas leaned against the wall of his room hardly able to breathe. He had no idea what to do next.

Nathan's Island

Nathan watched as Jonathan landed the helicopter on the beach. He ducked his head and shielded his eyes from the blowing sand as he ran to the side door and climbed in. He nodded a greeting to the commander and put on his headphones.

"Thanks, Jonathan." Jonathan nodded and proceeded to take the helicopter back up. Once in flight, he glanced over at the captain.

"Are you okay, Captain?"

"I'm fine, Commander."

"Any ideas where he is?"

"SeaQuest," stated Nathan with a pained look on his face. Jonathan looked confused but nodded, not knowing what to say. He set a course for Port Everglades. It appeared that time was of the essence. Jonathan could sense the urgency in the captain's demeanor.

Nathan sighed and scratched his five o'clock shadowed chin leaning his head back against the chair. He couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong. It just wasn't like Lucas to be so rebellious. Parenting was hard work. Teenagers were a difficult group to understand. How long was it going to take to get Lucas to really share his heart? He had barely scratched the surface of what was bothering him. Lately, the kid looked haunted and exhausted most of the time. It was difficult to help when Lucas kept shutting everyone out. Hell, even the kid's relationship with his father was complicated. Lawrence Wolenczak was an intelligent man but a complete failure as a father. Nathan knew he had made his own share of mistakes when his son was a kid, but Robert always knew he would be there if he needed him. Ben had told him once that Robert had said that any kid would be lucky to have a father like Nathan. Nathan knew he wasn't Lucas' dad, but he was a hell of a lot closer to it than Wolenczak. Nathan loved the kid and cared how he turned out.

"He's been through a lot, Captain," stated Jonathan, trying to alleviate some of the tension in the air. Nathan nodded.

"I know," acknowledged Nathan. "The kid's been through hell. I just wish he'd let me help him. Damn fool kid! He's not alone anymore."

"Lucas is a tough kid, Captain. He's been taking care of himself for years. I think it's hard for him to let people in."

"I could wring his father's neck. I know, not very professional of

me, considering Lucas' recent injuries. Lucas is so damned unpredictable lately." Jonathan nodded in agreement.

"I can't disagree," admitted Jonathan. "I've had little patience for Lucas recently. He's been irritating as hell!"

"Yeah, I get that. Jonathan, do you think I'm too easy on him?" asked Nathan unexpectedly. "Bill once said that he plays me like a drum. It sits in the back of my mind sometimes." Jonathan smirked slightly and glanced at the captain.

"You're asking me if I think you're too easy on him?" chuckled Jonathan. Nathan shook his head and laughed as well. He was definitely asking the wrong man.

"Never mind, Commander, I lost my head for a moment."

"I imagine that you were a damned good father, sir," commented Jonathan staring at out the window. Nathan glanced at him and smiled. He would take that as a compliment.

"Thanks." Nathan glanced out the window and noticed that it was getting dark outside. He felt his pulse speed up as he anticipated reaching the Glades. "This thing go any faster, Commander?" Jonathan nodded and picked up speed.

SeaQuest in dry Dock—Port Everglades

Lucas walked out the main shuttle docking doors and headed towards the main access gate. Nick had remained behind to set up an area in the Ward room for them to talk when Clemens arrived. Lucas rubbed the back of his neck to ease the tension. He didn't know what he should do. There was so many military staff around the dock. So many people who could help if he could only think of a way to get a message out without alerting the whole base. Lucas proceeded towards the main entrance lost in thought. He looked up and was surprised to see Miguel Ortiz striding across the pavement.

"Hey, Miguel!" called Lucas, trying to get his attention. Ortiz looked up in confusion when he saw Lucas. He walked up to Lucas and clapped him on the shoulder.

"Lucas, I'm surprised to see you. I thought you were with the captain on his Caribbean island."

"Uh, yah, I was. Um, I sorta gave him the slip and took the Stinger," admitted Lucas, looking at his shoes guiltily. Ortiz looked at Lucas in concern.

"Is everything ok? Did you two have a fight?" Lucas shook his head quickly, holding up his hand.

"No, no, nothing like that. I, uh, just," began Lucas. Miguel looked at Lucas closely trying to discern what the teen was trying to convey. He couldn't quite put his finger on it, but something wasn't right. "Just wanted to have some fun with my friends is all. Captain Bridger will probably ground me for a month when I get back," joked Lucas, trying hard to lighten the mood. "I, uh, also took his security clearance badge. I invited some friends on SeaQuest." Miguel's eyes rose in surprise and he whistled.

"Whoa, Lucas, you DO have a death wish. The Captain is going to skin you alive," responded Miguel, still feeling ill at ease. Lucas was acting strange. Nervous and fidgety. Sort of like a caged animal before a storm. Miguel knew it wasn't his presence that was causing the kid to act odd. Lucas knew that none of the crew would rat him out to the Captain unless he was doing something dangerous. Something else was wrong. Lucas chuckled and kicked at the ground nervously.

"Yah, yah, he's going to tear a strip out of me for sure. But, uh, it'll be worth it. Julianna is coming. Why are you here?"

"Oh, I forgot something in my quarters, but the security is so heavy here that they won't let me back on board," answered Miguel.

"Want me to get it for you?"

"No, that's okay. I don't want to interrupt your time with your friends. Lucas, I sure hope you know what you're doing and that it's worth it," admonished Miguel patting the kid on the shoulder. Lucas nodded slowly.

"I hope so too. Uh, Miguel, remember the time on shore leave when you and Tim saw me sneak into that bar? Remember how upset the Captain was that you didn't tell him what I was doing," Miguel furrowed his brow in puzzlement. He had no idea what Lucas was talking about. Tim and he had never seen Lucas sneak into bar. What the hell was the kid talking about? Voices ahead of them captured Lucas' attention. "Uh, I need to go. I need to show this badge to Sinclair. Uh, enjoy the rest of your shore leave." Lucas gave Miguel one last odd look and took off. Miguel watched as Lucas took off towards the main entrance. Had Lucas just told him to rat him out to the Captain? Miguel had never seen Lucas act so peculiar in all the time he'd known the kid. An unsettled feeling sat in the pit of his gut. Maybe he ought to give the Captain a call just to feel things out a little. He didn't have to completely rat the kid out, but it wouldn't hurt to check in with the Cap.

Lucas picked up speed as he heard Sinclair question Clemens and Julianna. Clemens was explaining his presence, and Julianna remained quiet. Lucas ran up out of breath. Julianna managed to smile when she saw Lucas, and he returned the smile. Clemens appeared calm and friendly.

"They're with me, Sinclair, uh, I mean with Captain Bridger," puffed Lucas showing the security clearance badge.

"Bridger is here? I haven't seen him," commented the officer skeptically. Lucas smiled and shrugged.

"Martin is an old friend of his. The Captain invited him to see his boat while we're docked here," explained Lucas, rather convincingly.

"I see. What about the girl"

"She's here to see me," winked Lucas. Officer Sinclair chuckled and clapped the teen on the back.

"Alright, Lucas. Be sure to tell Bridger to check in with security when he leaves. Technically, no one is supposed to be aboard SeaQuest in dry dock."

"Captain Bridger is SeaQuest." The officer smirked and nodded.

"I know, kid, but even God has to play by the rules." Lucas feigned a hearty laugh and watched as Sinclair walked away. He turned to face Clemens fearfully. A rush of memories flashed in his mind. He could still feel Clemens hands around his neck. Lucas fought to hold back the paralysing terror that he felt deep inside.

Clemens flashed the pistol in his pocket and smiled menacingly. He pointed the way to the SeaQuest.

"Shall we?" Clemens grabbed Julianna's arm roughly and started towards the entrance. Julianna's eyes pleaded with Lucas.

"Can't you let her go, Clemens? You don't need her anymore," implored Lucas, hoping the man would listen to reason. Clemens stopped and glared at Lucas.

"Look, kid. I never asked for any of this hassle. She stays until we're all on the same page. Got it? Now, let's go!"