Archive of Our Own

THE DEEP BLUE
by JakQuill

*It's because we all come from the sea. And it is an interesting
biological fact that all of us have in our veins, the exact same percentage
of salt in our blood that exists in the ocean. And therefore we have salt
in our blood, in our sweat, in our tears.
We are tied to the Ocean and when we go back to the sea to sail or to
watch it, we are going back from whence we came.*

seaQuest DSV The Movie.

Nathan and Lucas explored the area around their wreck. Before he'd left
for Cape Quest Nathan had promised Jonathan that they would stay in the
area so the two of them decided to head back to the wreck and see what else
they could find. Both had at least a nodding acquaintance with underwater
archaeology so they knew what they were looking for. Cannons that had
fallen from the deck as the ship sunk, anchors that might have broken free,
things like that.

It was that first morning, the day after the seaQuest had left that they
had returned to the wreck, and it was a place of shelter away from the
denizens of the deep. The weed bed nearby held memories and food for the
two of them. So this area was as good as anywhere for them to wait for
Jonathan's return.

The jewels, gold and silver that they'd found not all that long ago, they
tipped back in the broken chest and left. They'd taken what they wanted
and if Jonathan thought it would help them in their new life, they would
leave it for him to decide what to do with it. They found themselves much
more interested in the other things they found. Unbroken bottles of what
might be wine and casks that were still sealed with goodness know what
inside. They even found a full set of intact chinaware in one of the torn
open cabins. The whole thing was an adventure in itself. When night crept
down to the depths, they entered the wreck and used one of the more sound
cabins as a haven.

"Here, this should do." The floor of the cabin they chose had a carpet
of fine sand over it which had filtered through the cracks over the years.
The two of them dug out hollows for themselves and settled down. Nathan
reached out and pulled Lucas a little closer and with the blonde head on
his shoulder he lay back, thinking.

"Once Jonathan comes back, what do you think of the idea of just heading
out to sea and seeing what we come across?" Nathan's voice was a murmur.

"You mean out into the unexplored areas? Places that no one has ever
been to?" Lucas' voice was equally quiet. "That would be something." He
thought for a second then said, "We would have to take food. It's like a
desert out there in some places. Nothing lives, nothing grows. But yes,
I'd love to take a shot at it." He let his arm creep around Nathan waist,
his hand rubbing across his lovers stomach. Lucas let his finger make the
detour into Nathan's navel now and again.

Nathan's arm tightened around Lucas' shoulder and he nuzzled the ear
closest to him, his lips following the arch of the ear, then he left little
kisses across Lucas' smooth cheek heading for his lovers welcoming lips.
The kissing got serious after that, they hadn't made love for at least half
the day and both of them felt the hunger, the need for each other.

With searching fingers, Nathan caressed the high cheek bones and when he
pulled away from his lovers lips he ran the pad of his thumb across the
roughness of Lucas' teeth. The blue eyes closed and blonde lashes lay on
those cheekbones that fascinated Nathan so. Then the lashes lifted and
Lucas smiled at his lover, his own hands reaching out to touch, to feel.

Nathan let the exploring fingers smooth his beard, tickle his chin, then
curl up to find his ears. With his hands buried in Nathan's brown hair,
Lucas let his thumbs rub against the sensitive skin just under Nathan's
ears. Then he leant forward and kissed his lovers eyes closed.

Laying across Nathan's chest Lucas let his weight settle against the hard
body beneath him. The jewels that adorned Nathan's chest and his own dug
into him, and pulling himself slightly away from his lover, Lucas pulled
the chains he wore over his head and tossed them aside. He pushed Nathan's
over his shoulder and settled back until they were skin against skin.

Nathan ran his hands down Lucas' back, his waist, then to the youth's
flanks. He let him feel his nails as he ran them up and down Lucas' smooth
skin.

Hissing at what Nathan was doing, Lucas reached down and pulled his hands
away, to resettle them at his waist. Nathan had discovered during their
previous love making that Lucas was very sensitive on his flanks. Oh, he
loved it when Nathan touched him there, but too much would ruin everything.

Nathan lay back letting Lucas slow down the lovemaking, why not, they had
all the time in the world. Lucas rested against the warmth of Nathan's
chest, his lips buried in his lovers neck, his tongue savouring the taste,
his teeth nipping at the sensitive flesh. Nathan closed his eyes in
reaction, his hands spiking through the blonde locks, and this time it was
his turn to slow the loving down.

They kissed, eyes closed to all other sensations, just letting each other
feel the love. Lucas pulled away to catch his breath and looked down at
the blissful face of his lover, smiled wickedly and wound his tail around
Nathan before he could react. In a shock of pleasure, Nathan's eyes opened
wide and his arms clamped around his lovers waist. Lucas tightened the
grip of his tail and Nathan started to groan in reaction at each thrust.
Then Lucas lost all control and the two powerful cries echoed around the
long dead ship.

They lay together in their sandy bed and just murmured words of love to
one another. Neither were in a hurry to pull apart, neither wanted to. It
was while they lay there, hands lightly clasped and skin touching, that
Lucas felt the hunger rise again, so he started to move. Nathan hissed in
his ear and ran his fingers down his lovers backbone. And again the sound
of their lovemaking drifted out on the currents.

~~~~~~~*~~~~~~~~

Dr Wolenczak pushed back from his microscope and sat staring at the piece
of dissected vegetable matter on the tray beside it. The thing was a
narcotic. A natural, unknown narcotic. It was one of the several so
called "sea fruit" that his son and Nathan Bridger had given Dr Smith. It
was something they both ate everyday. It was also, Wolenczak was sure,
the first thing they'd eaten after the change. The damn thing had
stabilised their body tissues and it was, he'd bet his doctorate on it, one
of the main things that was keeping them from reverting. He was also going
to bet the life of his son on it. If he could just separate Lucas from the
fruit for a long period, just maybe he could be reverted, or at least come
to his senses enough to realise that he was in trouble.

~~~~~~~*~~~~~~~~

Marilyn Stark stared in disbelief as the news caster went on about the
Resort rescue on the vid screen. That was Nathan Bridger! That creature
was Captain Nathan Hale Bridger! The one man above all others that she
loathed. He'd destroyed all her plans when she wanted to prove that she
was the only Captain who could control the seaQuest. Blasphemy filled the
small cheap hotel room. In her rage of hate, it didn't matter to Stark that
the original seaQuest, *her* seaQuest had been destroyed. She now needed
to destroy the one man most connected with that memory of defeat. Nathan
Bridger.

After she'd finished swearing her head off, Stark got down to work. She
still had contacts and those contacts owed her plenty. If that creature
was Bridger, then he was out from under the protection of the UEO and she
was going to find him and destroy him.

~~~~~~~*~~~~~~~~

Gloria stood staring down into the bow wave, watching the dolphins
hitching a lift. The Resort where the accident had happened was well
behind them and she knew, *she knew* that they where getting closer to that
wreck. She held up a hand when she felt that they'd reached the area. It
was around here, a week ago, that the seaQuest had picked them up. After
she'd been released from quarantine, she'd gone back and questioned the
manager who had first contacted the seaQuest. The man had given her the
first clue. Thirty minutes, the manager said that he'd been told that it
would have taken the seaQuest thirty minutes to get to the edge of the
reef. And they would have followed a dead straight line. She went back to
the chart room and started to make her calculations. It didn't take her
long at all. Taking the chart with the course marked on it to the bridge
they were away again before even the dolphins got bored and left.

Again they stopped and she went over to the sonar man.

"How does it look?"

"Deep, Glory," he rubbed his chin in worry. "Really deep. It's no wonder
that it's never been found before, this is way off it's original course."

She stood there, staring down at the reading. It was deep, much deeper
then she'd ever been. "Pull out those Deep Suits that we're testing for
Parks and his people."

"I don't know Glory, those things haven't been certified for these depths."

"Then I'll be the first won't I, Dad?" She patted him on the bald spot
on his head and headed down to check her gear.

Frank King watched his daughter as she started to get ready for work.
This curse or hunger she'd caught to do this madness was getting out of
hand. A little treasure hunting on the holidays had been one thing, now
she was out nearly all the time, when she wasn't digging through archives
hunting for information. He damned that accident and those creatures she'd
seen wearing those jewels. Before that he'd almost got her back to normal,
now she had the fever worst then ever.

The DC's were packed right at the back of the gear cabinet and it took a
while to pull them out and sort through them. Glory was wearing one and
her dive partner, her cousin Tanner was wearing the other. As her father
dressed her, the treasure hunter nodded at everything he told her.

"Now I want you to keep an eye on those depth gauges, I've marked a red
line where the suit have been certified to. If you get into any kind of
trouble I want the two of you out." He took her chin in his fingers and
jerked her head around until she met his gaze. "I mean it Gloria, I've
left the mikes locked open so that I'll hear everything. At the first
*hint* of trouble I'm pulling the plug."

"Dad!"

"That's right I'm your father, so for God's sake listen to me for once!"

She stared at her dad for a long moment then nodded. She and Tanner
climbed on the dive platform and her father and the other crew members
gathered round as the winch slowly lowered them down. Suddenly one of the
crew members called to the elder King.

~~~~~~~*~~~~~~~~

Jonathan looked behind him at his friends and crew mates. They'd left
Cape Quest far behind them and were now heading out to find Nathan and
Lucas. The seaQuest was going to be stuck in dock for at least another
couple of weeks, so he and the others, Dr Smith, Ortiz, O'Neill, Henderson
and Brodie, had decided to get a cruiser and head out. The ship they were
using was the Captain's and they had used it many times before when they'd
been on leave, so when the idea to head out had surfaced, this had been the
first choice. Ortiz was using the special sonar equipment that Henderson
had rigged for them. It was almost exactly the same as the one on the
seaQuest. They'd even been allowed to try out a new experimental smaller
version of the whiskers. They had two aboard, ready to go over the side
when they reached the spot they were aiming for. They were also equipped
with EVA suits from the seaQuest.

"Jonathan, we got something on the surface near zero."

Reaching down Jonathan pulled up a pair of binoculars. Motioning Jimmy
to take the wheel, he looked to the horizon. "Got it. It...it looks like
a dive ship of some kind."

"Do you think that treasure hunter got here ahead of us?" called Tim.

Wendy climbed up beside the two men on the bridge, and lifted her own
glasses to look. "There's a lot of movement on the deck," she saw a flash
of light, "and someone's looking us over."

"Lonnie," called Jonathan, "put up the UEO flag. If they are treasure
hunters I don't want them to think we're trying to steal anything." She
headed for the locker and soon had the blue flag of the UEO up and dancing
in the wind.

"I'd say that they can see it," called Wendy. "They seem to be calming
down."

"Tim, get on the radio and find out what they are doing here. If it is
that King woman warn her that the treasure ship is tagged and already down
in the books as belonging to Nathan and Lucas."

"I've got them Commander. Ah, Jonathan, it seems the woman and one other
has already gone over the edge."

"Damn," swore Jonathan, "that woman..." He turned to Jimmy, "Get us over
there. I want to talk to someone face to face."

The ships came together bow to stern, with about ten feet separating the
two. Jonathan cupped his hands and called to the man waiting across from him.

"Ahoy there, this is Commander Ford, from the seaQuest. Did you know
that this wreck has been tagged already?"

"Ahoy, Commander. This is Frank King here."

"King? Are you related to the King we picked up?"

"Yes I'm her father, and just for the record, thanks for what you did.
But because of that rescue my daughter is down below hunting for that
blasted wreck."

"Listen to me Mr King, you've got to pull your daughter and her partner
out of there. That water is deep and highly dangerous."

"Because of those mermen?"

"Don't be an idiot," shot out Jonathan, "those two wouldn't hurt anyone!
No, I meant that there are a lot of weird cross-currents when you get to a
certain depth. Some of them are like rip-tides, fast and dangerous. Get
them back out of there now!"

Ortiz's voice floated up behind him, "Jonathan, I've got four down below,
not two!"

~~~~~~~*~~~~~~~~

Lucas and Nathan lay amongst the weed, enjoying the flow of the currents
as they would have once enjoyed the wind on their faces. Suddenly Lucas
sat up, what was that? Something...a sound, was that a voice?

"Nathan?" he reached out and shook the shoulder beside him. "Nathan, did
you hear that?" Swimming to above the weed, the two mermen stopped and
listened. There was a sound drifting down to them. Heading for the
surface, the two mermen gazed upwards.

"There!" pointed Lucas, as they ascended, "see just past the edge of the
weed." Nathan nodded when he also saw the silhouette of two divers as they
were being lowered from the surface.

"Are they UEO?" asked Lucas.

"I don't recognise the suits they're wearing."

"What do you think they're doing here?"

"Only two things could have brought them so close to us, they're either
after us, or the treasure," pointed out Nathan.

"But I thought that the UEO was going to keep our whereabouts a secret."

Nathan shook his head and they swam around the pair as they were being
lowered. Neither appeared armed, but the two merman didn't want to scare
them. Suddenly the two stopped and just hung in the water, then the cables
holding them started to lift them upwards. As they headed for the surface
they started to spin slightly and before Nathan and Lucas could move, the
two pairs of swimmers came face to face. Even though Glory King had seen
the two before, and told her cousin all about it, the sight of two jewel
encrusted merman was a sight to behold.

Neither diver could say a word, their mouths hanging open in shock as
they stared. Lucas' hair, which was longer then ever before, flowed around
his face. Most of its length had been held back with another piece of
treasure, a headband not unlike Nathan's. The two of them had become so
used to what they looked like, neither thought of themselves as different
any-more, they just were.

By now they could see the underside of the two ships. Nathan recognised
one of them. "I'd say that our friends are back," said Nathan pointing at
his old cruiser. "Jonathan must have decided not to wait for the all clear
on the seaQuest."

"Should we go up?"

"Don't see why not, they must know we're down here by now." The two
mermen swerved away from the still rising divers and headed for the far
side of the known ship.

As their heads broke the surface, they began to recognise the voices
they'd been hearing from just under the water. The swell lifted them a
little and they gazed onto the deck of the Questor. Lucas pushed his hair
out of his face and blinked in the sunlight. It was a beautiful day, blue
skies, hardly any wind.

A voice called out to them and Lucas turned back towards the Questor.
Lonnie leaned over the side and waved at them. Nathan and Lucas waved back
and swam a little closer.

"Jonathan, they're here!" she called up to the bridge. Wendy slid down
the ladder and made her way over to Lonnie and the others. Jonathan
watched as the man on the other ship hurried over to his daughter and the
other diver, then made his way down the ladder.

Long hair pushed off foreheads and held back by golden headbands,
laughing faces and eyes full of fire was the sight that greeted him. He
didn't really know what to expect, but the two still looked as he remembered.

"Jonathan, what's going on?"

Pointing at the other ship Jonathan said, "It's that King woman, she'd
figured out where the wreck is, and she was going down to it."

"Going down!" shot out Lucas. "Doesn't she realise just how deep the water
is around here?"

"She knows, but her father said she's got the treasure hunting fever and
won't give it up."

"Well, we can take her down, that is...what kind of suits has she got? I
didn't recognise them."

Jonathan looked down at the two human torso's, the ocean hid their
secrets very well. "Will it be a problem if you swim around to their
diving platform and talk to them?"

Nathan looked at Lucas, he'd been the one most affected by the way the
up-worlders had stared, so Nathan waited. Their friends stood on the deck
and watched as Lucas nodded, then Nathan and he dove under the surface and
made their way to the other craft. The seaQuest people moved forward until
they came level with the diving platform on the rear of the King's ship.
When the mermen surfaced again, Nathan noticed the name painted on the rear
of the craft.

"Sea Monarch," read out Nathan. "Nice name," he murmured to Lucas.

The crew of the Monarch saw the two in the water and crowded forward.
The man still wearing half a diving suit was waving his arms in the air,
trying to explain to the others what he'd seen, when he noticed that all
eyes were on the water behind him.

"See!" he was almost jumping up and down in excitement. "See, we weren't
making it up. Look at them."

Nathan and Lucas moved up and down with the slight swell, eyeing those on
the diving ship as much as those stared at them. "Haven't you fools got any
idea just how dangerous it is down there?" pointed out Nathan, and just
about everyone on the Monarch jumped in surprise.

Lucas shook his head, a hand pushing hair out of his face. "Why bother
trying to tell them anything, let them find out for themselves," he said
turning to leave.

"No, no wait," Glory King had clambered over the stern and knelt on the
heaving diving platform, "all I want is proof that the wreck is the one I'm
looking for. That's all!"

"Not the treasure," asked Lucas doubt lacing his words as he touched his
forehead and chest.

"Oh, I'll admit that the treasure was something that I wanted, but I also
wanted to prove that I had found a wreck that no one else had thought to be
around here." She pointed downwards, "That ship of your's wasn't suppose
to be within five hundred miles of here. I tracked it through the
information I'd discovered in the archives as far as that reef you rescue
me from. I want to prove to all those others that what I'd found was true.
Proof!"

The two mermen looked at one another, then Nathan asked, "What kind of
proof? Something with the ships name on it? Will that do?" The woman
nodded, and Nathan turned to Lucas.

"That small chest we found in the Captain's quarters, bring it up." Lucas
nodded and with a flip of his body disappeared under the water. The people
on the Monarch gasped in shock as his fluke flashed in the bright sunlight
and then he was gone.

"Nathan," called Jonathan, "what's happening?"

"If the young lady wants proof, we'll give her proof." Nathan swam
closer to the platform the woman knelt on and stared at her. "Were you
really going to try and dive to that depth in those suits?" he asked. At
her nod he laughed, "You would have been dead before you reached the bottom."

Frank King moved up beside his daughter, trying not to stare as parts of
the strangers lower body came into sight with every swell. "Do you mean
those currents the Commander was telling me about?"

"Those and other things," was all Nathan said. Suddenly Lucas burst out
of the water almost causing Glory to fall backwards. In his arms he
cradled a small wooden chest.

"Do you have a crate or something you can fill with water?" he asked.

"What am I thinking of," mumbled Glory, as she motioned one of her crew
to pass a handy plastic crate to her. She held it out to the merman in
front of her, who then lowered it into the water to fill it. The younger
one placed his burden in the crate, then the other passed it back to Glory
and her father. They lifted it easily over the stern and placed it on the
heaving deck.

"What's in it," she asked the mermen.

"Open it," was all Nathan would say. With careful fingers, she reached
into the crate and lifted the lid. The people on the Questor had a good
view as their deck was higher then the Monarch's. Rotted velvet fell away
from the inner lid of the chest and a dull glitter flashed in the sunlight.
Again with careful, but shaking fingers, Glory reached down and lifted a
cut crystal goblet out of the sea water that had guarded it for over four
hundred years.

"Oh wow!" was all she said as she turned the glass in her hand. It was
beautiful, a work of art in it's time.

"The ship's name is etched on the outside of each goblet so I think
you've got your proof," said Nathan.

"They're beautiful, truly magnificent." The other crew members of the
diving ship crowed around to stare at the goblet Glory held and the chest
in the crate. "And," she said looking over the side at the two mermen, "and
they are in the ship's manifest! Yes this is just the proof I need. Thank
you, thank you very much."

Glory stood staring at the goblet she held, but Frank King went back to
the diving platform and sat with his feet dangling in the water. Seeing
that he wanted to talk, Nathan swam forward, Lucas, still a little wary,
hung back. "I don't think your friend likes us."

"People make him nervous, that's all." Nathan reached out and rested his
forearms on the platform, staring across at his old ship and the people on
it. Migeul was lowering a couple of objects that looked like miniature
whiskers into the water and the others were out of his sight.

"Oh, by the way, my names Frank King, that's my daughter Glory up there
in a daze."

"Nathan," he said pointing at his jewel encrusted chest, "and that's
Lucas. Come on Lucas, it'll be all right." Lucas swam up beside Nathan,
but hung back from the platform, trying to ignore the looks from the
Monarch's crew.

"Have you decided what you're going to do about your wreck?" asked Frank.

"Well, now that Jonathan and the others are here, we'll start raising the
stuff we've found. After that?" he shrugged.

Suddenly there was a splash in the water and Nathan turned to see
Jonathan swimming towards the platform he was leaning on. This was the
first time that Jonathan had gotten so close to Nathan and Lucas
physically. He tread water at arms length from his two old friends.
Nathan smiled and Lucas reached out and ducked him. Spluttering, Jonathan
climbed out and sat beside Frank.

"I've got something to say," he murmured to the man next to him, "and I
didn't want to shout it across the water." He lowered his voice again
after looking over his shoulder, "I've got a couple of UEO EVA suits on the
Questor and I wondered whether or not to tell your daughter." Nathan
rested there, Lucas beside him as the two air breathers talked.

"We could take her down quite easily if she wore one of those suits, but
not one of yours. Or do you think the sight of the wreck might set her
off?" Nathan had experience with the fever of treasure hunters and he
didn't want to get stuck with one in that depth of water.

"How many suits do you have?" Frank asked quietly.

"Four complete units that can handle that depth for long periods. I've
spent over thirty hours in one of those easily."

Frank gnawed his bottom lip. "Could you take me as well?" he looked
across to Jonathan. "Where do you think she caught the fever from?" he
shrugged ruefully. "I used to have it bad until her mother died, then I
had to come back to reality. She caught it from me when I used to take her
out in summer to some of the already discovered wrecks. She got the hunger
to find one of her own." He looked at the jewels flowing across Nathan's
chest, "This would have been her fifth. The easy wrecks have all been
discovered, that just leaves the dangerous ones, like yours. I'd almost
weaned her away from the actual diving until she saw you and your friend,"
he said nodding at Nathan and Lucas. "One look at those jewels and gold
and she was gone."

"Sorry about that Frank, but we were trying to save her life at the
time," pointed out Nathan. The older King just shrugged and turned back to
Jonathan.

"I don't see why you can't talk to her about going down, at least I'll
now she's safe and not taking senseless chances."

"What if we leave the dive until tomorrow," suggested Jonathan, looking
up at the sky. "That way everyone will get a complete rest before we go
down."

"Who else?" asked Lucas, finally coming closer.

"Frank, his daughter, myself and..." Jonathan looked back over to the
Questor.

"Who do you suggest?" he asked the two mermen.

Lucas and Nathan looked at one another, then before any more could be
said, Lucas spoke to Jonathan, "Where's Tony? I'd have thought he'd be out
here with you lot."

"They kept him in quarantine longer then the rest of us, because he'd
been with the two of you for longer periods."

"He is coming out though?"

"As soon as he's out of the hospital, he said he'll be here."

"Well," put in Nathan, "Wendy has some experience in an EVA, but then so
does Miguel."

"Why don't you draw straws or something," said Lucas, "that'll work."

"Yeah, I might just do that." Frank climbed to his feet as Jonathan
slipped back in the water.

"I'll go talk to Glory, but I'd say that her answer will be a yes."
Jonathan swam back to the Questor, and just as he reached the ladder a
scream came from the Monarch.

"I'd say that was a yes," he muttered as he climbed back aboard the
Questor.

"We'll see you at dawn," called Nathan as Jonathan leaned back over the
railing. Jonathan waved and turned to the other while Nathan and Lucas
flipped and headed back to their wreck.

"It feels strange to be around people again," murmured Lucas as they
headed back down. Nathan nodded, his eyes going to the miniature whiskers.

"I know what you mean, we're going to have to get used to it though."
Reaching out, he took Lucas' hand in his and they swam into the wreck. The
cabin they had been using had also become a place to store all the bits and
pieces they had found in and around the wreck. Coral covered cannon-balls
lay beside the chest of treasure they had found. Bottles of wine and casks
of whatever rested together. But they had kept a place clear of the
clutter, a small sandy patch that had a hollow in the middle. A pile of
sea fruit was piled beside it, a little fish nibbling at one spun around
and left as the two mermen moved over to their bed.

Lucas lay back, his eyes drawn upwards, his mind going back to their
conversation. "Do you think that we're going to find ourselves hemmed in?"

Nathan moved beside Lucas, not touching, just sitting there, looking at
him. "The oceans of this world are very, very big, Lucas and we have the
means to go just about anywhere we want to in them. The up-worlders can't
track us unless we let them, and you know it. We can't be hemmed in unless
we let them do it to us." Nathan leaned forward and kissed him softly,
"And we won't let them, will we?" Lucas shook his head as Nathan lowered
himself and he reached up and pushed his fingers through the hair above the
gold headpiece.

"Love you," murmured Nathan as he nibbled a ear, "I love you so much."
Nathan laughed softly, his beard rubbing against the sensitive neck of his
lover. They lay together, bodies close, hands stroking and thoughts
melded. Soft hands quickly turned into hard stroking. Lips strained
together, kissing becoming the only form of communication that they could
express themselves with. Their ornaments where quickly removed. Gold and
jewels flung onto the sandy floor. Lucas let his lips move from Nathan's
and they trailed down his neck, under his beard until they reached one of
the nipples normally hidden beneath sapphires and diamonds. His tongue
flicked out and Nathan stiffened as the feelings exploded inside him.

"No matter how many times we make love," Nathan murmured as Lucas had his
way, "I still need you. I still hunger for your touch, your body close to
mine, your senses joined to mine." Nathan let his arms drop until they
rested on Lucas' shoulder and his hands stroked his lower back. Lucas was
silent, he loved to listen to Nathan's voice, it soothed him in the only
way other then his lovers touch.

"I wake up at night to make sure you're still beside me, that all this
hasn't been some kind of dream that will disappear on me. That scares me a
lot."

"I'll never leave you," smiled Lucas, as he looked up at his lovers face.
"You're stuck with me until the end of time."

"Good," murmured Nathan, as he pulled the youth up face to face so that
he could kiss the lips that smiled at him.

The dawn was felt even down in the depths, and Nathan and Lucas headed
for the surface after a quick breakfast meeting a mini-whisker on the way
up.

As they broke the surface, the dullness of the sky was becoming alive
with colour. They turned towards the dawn, and watched as the swell gently
moved them about.

"Hey, Nathan, Lucas!" called Wendy. The two mermen swam over to the
Questor, noticing that Jonathan was being helped into his EVA suit and that
Miguel was being outfitted in another. The two King's were also being
suited up, they were all in a hurry to get down into the deep and see the
wreck. Nathan told Lonnie exactly where the wreck rested and she moved the
Questor into the right position.

It didn't take long for the group to be ready, everything was checked and
double checked, until finally they moved to the diving platform on the back
of the Questor. Cables were connected and the sign was given. The crews
left behind on both ships watched as the four EVA suited people were slowly
lowered into the deep blue ocean. Lucas and Nathan, with a wave to their
friends on the Questor, submerged and swam over beside the divers. Lights
from the suits and hovering whiskers lit up the sea around them. Lucas and
one of the whiskers headed downwards until they reached the sea-bed.
Nathan and the other whisker stayed beside the up-worlders. He'd expected
the looks that he and Lucas had received from Glory and her father, but he
couldn't explain why Miguel was acting so strangely. Shrugging to himself,
Nathan decided that he'd worry about it later. He wanted to show Jonathan
and Miguel just what he and Lucas had gained and if he had to have two
other witness', so what.

Glory felt the wonder of what she was doing. These suits she and her
father now wore were so above the quality that she could ever have acquired
for herself. They were on the fine cutting edge of technology. Wearing a
UEO EVA suit, she could stay under water for up to thirty-six hours, if she
wanted to. The helmets were even rigged out with water and food
substitute. Her eyes glanced at one of the miniature gauges built into the
helmet and saw the depth they had reached and gasped. This was the deepest
she'd ever been! And the sea-bed was still below them. That was when she
knew that what she had tried yesterday had been the most stupid thing she
had ever done. If she had continued with that dive she and Tanner might
both very well be dead by now.

Just then something seemed to grab hold of her and spun her around, the
voice of that seaQuest Commander came over the radio.

"It's okay folks, it's just one of those freak currents I was talking
about, we'll soon be below them."

Then her feet hit bottom and she stumbled a little to get her balance.
The area was well lit up and she turned her head until she could see the
hulking wreck just behind them. The older merman, Nathan, swam up beside
her and spoke in his soft voice.

"I'll take you to the safest part of the wreck first." Glory shook her
head in amazement. They were a wonder themselves and here she was just
wanting to see a old wooden ship. As he swam in front of them, the younger
one joined him, and Glory was struck by the feeling that those two belonged
together. She started to talk to mask the feelings that seemed to come
from everyone.

"She sailed from Kingston, Jamaica in 1599, one of the Gold ships heading
back to Portugal from the Americas. The gold she'd taken from the Americas
had been melted down in Kingston and made into the fine things that Nathan
and Lucas are wearing. They were suppose to be tribute to the King and his
court. Her name in English means Flaxen Locks and strangely enough there
was a mermaid as a figure head. The Flaxen had been making for her first
port of call at Nassau, when a storm hit. That was all the official
information I could find, but I did find what seemed to be a journal from a
survivor. It said that they'd been pushed north-west, towards the
mainland, away from the safe ports in the West Indies. The ship went down
and some of the crew got away, but none of them knew the exact position of
the sinking. People have been searching for her ever since." By then
they'd reached the outer area of the wreck. Nathan and Lucas both pointed
out the coral and weed covered debris they'd discovered over the last week.

The feelings of wonder from the two seaQuest crew-members matched those
of King's. Even though the two of them had spent many hours in a EVA suits
during their time on the seaQuest, they'd never had such a dive before.
The wreck loomed above them and they all felt the need to duck as they
walked around it.

"I don't know if they should go inside," said Lucas, looking across at
Nathan. "There are a lot of snags that might catch the cables."

"Can we unlock them, and move around more freely?" asked Frank.

"Well, Miguel and I would be okay, but I don't know about you two," put
in Jonathan.

"My daughter and I have spent a lot of hours in suits similar and we do
know how to handle ourselves."

"Okay," nodded Jonathan, "it's your choice." He turned to Nathan. "What
places are safe for us to go to?" The merman thought about it, he wasn't
going to take them to their cabin. That was his and Lucas' place, but
there was a couple of safe places at the other end of the ship.

"Now, when the cables are unlocked I don't want anyone wandering around
on their own. You two," he spoke to Glory and Frank, "have had a lot of
experience in wrecks so you can understand this, right?"

"Sure."

"Okay."

"Lead on," said Jonathan. Miguel just nodded and hung a little back, he
was still a little nervous at being so close to his changed friends. They
made their way around the wreck, looking and exclaiming over the sights
around them. A little while later Nathan pointed ahead at an opening in
the side of the hull.

"This is the way in, now when you undo your cables lock them onto this,"
he pointed at a anchor that rose up out of the sand. They did so then
climbed easily into the ship. When all six were out of sight, something
that wasn't suppose to be there moved and as it moved closer it's form
became that of another up-worlder wearing a EVA suit.

Stark stared at the hole the mermen and their companions disappeared
into. She had to do this just right. Not caring one iota if the others
lived or died and laying the charges where they'd do the most good, Stark
imagined what they would do to Bridger. Each blast was going to fan out in
such a way that when they went up it would be like a wall of death coming
down on the wreck. Timers were set and with one last look over her
shoulder, Stark disappeared back into the haze, wishing all the time that
she could be here to watch the death of her enemy.

Lucas and Nathan, one in front and one behind, led the group on a tour of
discovery. They had to be mindful of every step the up-worlders took,
because what might be safe for the mermen wasn't all that safe for the
heavy footed air-breathers. But despite that, it was a quite a while
before they exited from the wreck on the far side.

Jonathan looked up towards the surface, the sun just a bright ring of
light, then around him. "That was...wow! I'm glad you came along Ms King.
I didn't know half that stuff you were told us."

"Please," she murmured, feeling just a little tired, "call me Glory."
Miguel, who had always been interested in history was finally glad that he
had won the lottery and been the one to come down. That had been an
experience he'd never thought to have. To be shown around like that, by
the Captain and Lucas in their new forms. He had found himself staring at
the two of them more and more as the time had passed. The Captain didn't
seem to mind too much, but he knew that he made Lucas nervous with his
stares. But how could he explain to the young man that he found his new
physique such a marvel.

The way they swam, their body movements were completely different from
anything he had ever seen. Sometimes they were the old Captain or Lucas,
then they'd do something or would look at one another in such a way that
you knew you were missing something.

Suddenly Miguel was struck again by their new nature when the two mermen
turned in unison. Darwin appeared from nowhere and swam right up to
Nathan. Lucas moved beside them and he seemed to be listening to
something. Nathan turned to the up-worlders.

"We haven't got time to go back for your cables, Darwin's been telling us
that we had a visitor while we where in the Flaxen. Come on." Without
explaining anything else, he started to lead the group away. Jonathan and
Miguel, used to taking orders from him followed after, but the two King's
seemed to hesitate. Lucas swam back and with a hand on each of their backs
started to push them forward.

"Didn't you hear what Nathan said? That stranger was seen by Darwin
putting things down around the wreck. We have no idea what they are so
let's just get out of here, hmmm!" He pushed them until they were level
with the others.

"Jonathan, do you think the jets from the suits will take you safely to
the surface from this depth?"

"I've done it on tests, you know that, so I don't see why not."

"Okay, you and the others head up-world. I'll check out those things
Darwin spoke of. Call ahead to the surface and get them to check out the
area and see if they can find any trace of a craft of any kind in the
area." Without realising what he was doing, Nathan started acting like
Captain Bridger and Jonathan obeyed him in exactly the same way he used to.
After activating the jets, they all started to rise.

"Lucas, you go up and..."

"No way," broke in an angry Lucas, "there is no way I'm leaving you down
here on your own!"

Nathan just smiled and shook his head, "Come on then, Darwin said he'll
show us where the things are."

They went back to the wreck and the waiting dolphin who led them to the
closest package. It only took Nathan one look. "Explosives! What the hell
is going on?" he quickly pulled the timer wire from the explosives themselves.

"Quick, Lucas, Darwin, we've got to get the rest. The time left on the
clock isn't that long." They followed after Darwin as they one by one
picked up the surprise packages that had been left for them.

"How many are left Darwin?"

"Don't know! Don't know!," replied the dolphin. They spread out,
following the curve of the packages they had already found.

"I've got another one," called out Lucas.

"Can you defuse it?"

"Done it!" The two mermen curved around swimming towards each other when
the world exploded just in front of Nathan. Lucas was flung backwards by
the shock-wave and felt himself tossed hard onto the rocky sea-bed. But
Nathan....

He pushed himself up of the rocky bottom and shook his head trying to
clear it.

*Nathan!*

His lover had been almost right over the top of that thing going off.
His swimming wasn't all that coordinated, but Lucas managed to reach the
area where the explosion had gone off. //Where was he? Where?// Lucas
could feel himself losing it. //Where was Nathan?// He spun around until
he managed to get a feeling of his lover in all the churned up debris.
There! The young merman rocketed over to what had been an outcrop of weed
encrusted rocks. They were now a mud enveloped mess and Nathan was in
there. He reached in and felt amongst the weed and the mud until he felt
flesh. An arm, then a shoulder, his fingers blindly felt for a pulse on
the neck and found it.

*He was alive!*

Reaching out carefully, Lucas slid his arms under Nathan's shoulders and
flanks and lifted him ever so slowly. Then as soon as he was free of the
blinding muck and saw the blood, all sensible thought left his mind and
with a howl of sorrow, he raced for the surface.

"Wendy will help," he mumbled to himself, watching the red ooze from all
the gashes. He could feel the stickiness of blood on his hand and arm
under Nathan's shoulders. So much blood! He almost beat the up-worlders
to the surface and broke the surface just as Jonathan and his party were
shouting explanations to the two ships.

"Wendy," he screamed, "Wendy, Nathan's hurt. He's hurt real bad!" He
streaked to the diving platform on the stern of the Questor. Wendy jumped
into the water beside him, her hands reaching out to feel Nathan's pulse
and to run quick hands over his body.

"You shouldn't have moved him!"

"I didn't have much choice, you can't help him down there and you know
it! Just help me get him aboard so that you *can* help him." Wendy
climbed back on the platform as Tim and Lonnie joined her, the three easily
lifted the hurt merman onto the heaving platform, then onto the deck. With
agility that he didn't know he had, Lucas flicked himself up onto the now
vacant platform and hung over the stern of the Questor.

Blood stained the deck as Wendy sent the others off to get the first aid
kit and some towels.

"Can you help him? Please Wendy, don't tell me he's going to die!"
Wendy ignored the rambling of the panicked merman, she first pulled the
fortune in jewels from around Nathan's neck and dropped them in a heap on
the deck, then she set to work. From what she could see the gashes were
deep and still bleeding. She felt his head and found a goose egg on the
back of it. But that was all she could find wrong.

"No broken bones that I can find," she muttered out loud. "Maybe
concussion, but I've got to stop this bleeding." Tim appeared with the
first aid kit and her medicine bag. Lonnie had a huge armful of towels
when she came back on deck. Tim rushed over and helped her carry them back
to the Doctor. Laying a few out, they lifted Nathan onto the softer towels
and off the deck. Rolling him onto his side, Wendy checked out the gashes
on his back, cleaning them at the same time. Tim and Lonnie had gone over
to the winch to pull Jonathan and the others out of the water when Wendy
indicated that she didn't need them any longer.

"What happened?" she asked while she worked. Lucas, still in shock from
what he had just gone through, stared at her.

"Lucas," she said louder, "what happened?"

"Someone," he rubbed a hand across his face, "someone laid a whole lot of
charges around the wreck. Darwin warned us when we came out. We sent the
others back to the surface and started to search for the charges. We must
have found them all but the one that went off." He closed his eyes as the
memory of Nathan being enveloped by the explosion played back in his mind.
"Nathan was right over it when it went off!"

"It's okay Lucas, really it is. He's lost a lot of blood and he's got a
nasty bump on the back of his head, but I can't find anything else wrong."

"Then why can't I feel him," he asked, his hand going to his forehead.
With a hard flip of his tail, Lucas pushed himself over the low stern of
the Questor and fell in a heap beside Nathan.

"Lucas," said a worried Wendy, "you're going to hurt yourself doing
that." Lucas ignored her and heaved himself up beside Nathan. Twisting
around, he took his lovers head into his lap, his hands brushing back the
hair from the bloodied forehead.

"I can't feel *Nathan*," he said in an anguished voice, looking up at the
psychic, "you know what I mean, Wendy. I can't *feel* him." Wendy didn't
say anything, what could she say? So she went back to cleaning Nathan's
gashes. Then when she saw the blood on Lucas' back, she exclaimed, "You're
hurt too? Why didn't you tell me?" The worried merman just shook his head
and winced as she washed away his blood.

"I didn't feel a thing," he said, still leaning over Nathan, his hands
absently playing with Nathan's discarded jewels like worry beads, before he
tossed them over his own head.

A half dressed Jonathan made his way over to them, his face as worried as
the others "How is he Doctor?" Wendy got to her feet and motioned
Jonathan away from the two mermen.

"Nathan should be fine," her voice was soft, "no broken bones, that I can
find," she added, "and other then a bad bump and the cuts..., " she
shrugged. An alarm went of in the Bridge, and Jonathan rolled his eyes,
"Jeez, what can that be." Miguel ran over to them, "Commander," he said,
forgetting himself for a minute. "Commander, Brodie said that we've got a
small surface vessel heading this way, at high speed. O'Neill's trying to
contact them but they won't answer."

"Well, it's a free ocean," Jonathan pointed out, "we can't stop people
from using it."

"Yes sir," agreed Miguel, "but they're broadcasting a UEO identification."

Lucas, who had been listening in, erupted. "UEO! They've come to take
Nathan and me away! I knew it, I told him not to trust you!" Lucas
started to jerk backwards, trying to pull Nathan along with him, heading
for the safety of the water.

"Lucas, Lucas, you're going to make his wounds worse doing that. You
know that we won't let anyone hurt you or Nathan."

"Yeah," snarled the young merman, "and what if they give you a *direct
order*? What if they *told* you to take the two of us and hold us? Then
what would you do!" By then the small motor vessel was in sight. Again
Lucas tried to lift the body of Nathan over the side, but Jonathan and
Miguel managed to wrestle him down. Lucas was almost in tears by the time
the boat was along side, but he didn't even think of leaving Nathan behind
and taking off himself. He went back to holding Nathan, Jonathan and
Miguel both hovering over them. Brodie came out from the Bridge, he'd been
looking for whoever had set the charges, but hadn't any luck at all. Going
over to the side, he caught the thrown rope from the motor boat and stared
down at the man who'd thrown it.

"Relax everybody, it's Lucas' father."

"Dad!"

Brodie reached down and helped the man on board. With a quick glance
around him, Dr Wolenczak saw his son and headed over to him.

"Good, you got him aboard. At least you had the good sense to do that."

"Dad? What are you doing here?"

"Dr Wolenczak? Why didn't you radio ahead that you were coming?"

"I didn't want to take a chance on one of you bleeding hearts telling him
that I was coming!"

Jonathan, who was getting really angry by now, reached out and shook the
man, "Will you please tell us what the hell you're talking about?"

"I think I've discovered a way to change my boy back!" His statement
stunned everybody.

Lucas whispered a anguished "No," and clung tighter to his lover. He
didn't want to go back, he didn't want to become an up-worlder again. "Why
can't you leave me alone," he cried out. "You never wanted me around
before, why are you doing this all now, just when I'm happy at last?"

"Lucas! Lucas boy," his father knelt on the other side of the unconscious
Nathan, and reached out to touch his son. Lucas pulled away from the hand
and scowled at him.

"Lucas, that stuff you eat, that *sea fruit* that you gave to the Doctor,
I analysed it and found it to be a narcotic. I think that's the reason you
won't let us, let me help you change back to a normal person."

"I was never a *normal person*," spat out Lucas. "You made that point so
often in those arguments you and Mom kept having."

"But son, you didn't ask for this to happen to you," he waved a hand at
his son's body. "You just...just woke up like this and wham, my son was
gone. Surely you can see that if you'd been in your own mind, the first
thing you would have done would have wanted to be changed back." The
others gathered around the threesome, the two King's listening in unabashed.

"That dolphin just gave you a *gift*," this time it was the older
Wolenczak turn to spit out a word, "something that you didn't even want..."

Lucas broke in, his teeth clenched in fury. "How do you know I didn't
want it? *You* don't know me! Darwin knew me better then I knew myself
sometimes. He gave me the one thing that I'd craved more then anything in
the whole world." His arms locked around Nathan, and he stared into his
father's eyes. The father and son's gaze seemed to burn the air around
them in anger.

Wendy looked down at Nathan's chest, under the hard arms Lucas had around
him. Those gashes...kneeling down beside Nathan, she pushed the older
Wolenczak away and reached out for Nathan. Lucas, still in a rage tried to
pull him away from her, but she reached out with her mind and calmed him down.

"Look," she said out loud, her finger running over what had been a deep
gash on Nathan's chest. It was almost healed. She reached out and grabbed
Lucas' shoulder and turned him until she could see his back, those cuts
he'd had were closing as well.

Lucas, his rage at his father extinguished by Wendy's observations gasped
in surprise. He closed his eyes and laid his forehead against Nathan's.
"He's there, he's all right! Quick help me get him back in the water!"

"Don't be a fool, son, stay and let me help you!" Lucas and the others
all but ignored the older Wolenczak as they helped Lucas onto the platform.
Then after he was in the water, they lowered Nathan into his arms.

"Please, son, listen to me, at least stop eating that fruit for a while.
See how not eating it affects you, please!"

Lucas stared up into the anguished eyes of his father, Nathan warm and
vital in his arms. He turned to a worried Jonathan, "Have you got a spare
com-link, ours are in the wreck and I'm not taking a chance going back
there until it's been checked out completely." Jonathan sent Tim to grab
one of Tony's water-proof com-links then he lowered it to the waiting merman.

"I've got to take Nathan to a safe place, I'll call as soon as he's
conscious. See if you can find out who tried to kill us." Without saying
another word, he tightened his hold on Nathan and vanished beneath the
waves. Wolenczak was left staring at nothing but the water. Throwing
orders like he was still aboard the seaQuest, Jonathan had everybody jumping.

"O'Neill, contact Cape Quest, tell them what happened out here. Find out
when the earliest seaQuest can be freed. Henderson, you and Ortiz get
working on those whiskers, see if you can find any data on who set those
charges. Brodie, escort our guests back to their ship." He turned to Dr
Wolenczak, "Dr Smith and I want to have a long talk with you." Everybody
turned to their jobs and Brodie took the two King's over to their dingy.

"Wow," muttered Glory to her father, "doesn't he know how to throw around
the orders."

"The Commander is worried," Brodie pointed out, "and so should you be.
This could have been a hit against the Captain or Lucas, or any one of you
that where down there. Sir," he said to Frank King, "I'd check the hull of
my ship if I were you." He piled them into their dinghy and watched them
leave, then headed off to suit up and check the hull of the Questor, he was
going to take his own good advice.

Jonathan turned away from the side of the ship and faced Wolenczak, "You
are to stay in your cabin, under guard, until the seaQuest gets here, then
you'll be escorted aboard her."

"You have no right to treat me like this!"

Jonathan leaned forward, anger in every inch of his body, "And you have
no right to treat Lucas like that!"

"He's my son," grounded out the man.

"Your son, not your property. Now, when they come back and *if* they
come aboard the seaQuest you are to stay right away from him. Do you
understand!"

"Listen, man," put in Wendy, "you have got to let this go. I told you
that their whole physical body has been changed, and not only their bodies.
Their minds are not completely human any more. And their emotional
make-up has changed as well, you must have seen that when you talked to
Lucas before."

"I saw nothing but my son acting like a fool," spat out the man as he
turned and left the Bridge. Jonathan nodded at Brodie, who followed after
him.

~~~~~~~*~~~~~~~

Lucas carried a limp Nathan, travelling as fast as he could go. It
reminded him of the time that he'd taken Nathan from the launch as he'd
started to change. More so as he was heading for the same place again.
The ocean sped past them at an amazing rate as Lucas put his heart into
heading for the small grotto that Nathan had woken in, a changed person.

The words his father had said echoed in his head.

So what if the fruit was a narcotic. He'd never actually craved for the
taste of it. He and Nathan had found plenty of other things to eat, it was
just that with the weed bed being so close, it had been the easiest thing
for them to gather.

Still the words echoed.

And even if he did stop eating the fruit, that didn't mean he was
suddenly going to change back to an up-worlder. Darwin's gift had changed
him and Nathan, not some stupid fruit! Lucas pushed all thought but
Nathan's well being to the back of his mind. Almost there.

The reef appeared below them and Lucas knew just where to go. Moments
later, he was carefully pushing Nathan up onto the beach. Not high enough
to be out of the water, but just high enough so that Lucas could have him
lay flat, supported by the sand. Tossing the com-link in a corner, Lucas
lay beside Nathan, his forehead resting against that of his lover. The
confusion that flowed through Nathan's mind was welcomed by the listening
Lucas. He was slowly becoming conscious. Pulling back, Lucas hitched
himself upright and lifted Nathan's head onto his lap. Tugging the
sapphire and diamond necklace from around his neck, Lucas gently replaced
it on Nathan, arranging it carefully. Then slowly running his fingers
through the hair that tickled his lap, Lucas leaned back against the rocky
wall, wincing a little as he realised that his back was still tender.

He rested there, in a half daze himself, every once in a while jerking
himself upright, blinking himself awake. Time passed, he didn't know how
much flashed by when he dozed off for what seemed like only short times and
he had no way of reckoning it. Then Nathan moved in his arms, he seemed to
stretch a little, as he always did just before he awoke.

"Nathan?" he said softly, then he remembered past words. "Nathan," he
whispered into his lover's ear, "please Nathan, it's time to wake up."

"Hmmmm, Lucas? What happened?" his voice was faint.

"It's time to have fun, to be free." The quiet words Lucas forced out
past the tears was full of love, "It's time to wake up and have fun."

Nathan opened his eyes, blinking a couple of times until he could see his
lover's face close above him.

When he saw Nathan's eyes open, Lucas twisted until he was again laying
beside Nathan, gathered him in his arms and buried his face in his lovers
neck, sobbing out his relief that he was all right. Nathan's arms slowly
moved up around the heaving body on his, then as Lucas sobbed out his
relief, Nathan remembered what had happened.

"Lucas," he said worryingly, lifting the youth off him, "are you all right?"

Lucas laughed at the words, his tears still flowing. "Me? It was you who
was hurt. I couldn't feel you when you were unconscious. I thought I'd
lost you," he wailed and gathered Nathan close again.

Nathan was at a loss as to why Lucas was behaving like this. Yes, he'd
been hurt, but it couldn't have been that bad. Nathan could tell that
something more then him being injured was bothering Lucas. When he finally
managed to calm the youth down everything came out in a jumble. How Lucas
had taken him up-world, and he thinking that Nathan was dying. How the
older Wolenczak had appeared to say that he could make them up-worlders
again, everything came out all mixed up.

Nathan pulled Lucas away from him, shaking him a little, trying to get
his attention.
"Lucas, Lucas, you're going to make yourself ill. Stop it!" Finally
Lucas calmed down enough so that Nathan could ask questions. "Now what
exactly did your father say? Did he really say he could change us back?"

Lucas got a hold of himself and still sniffing a little he tried to
remember his father's exact words. "Well not really, he said that the
fruit, you know that stuff from the weed, was making us want to be like
this. That it was keeping us from wanting to be reverted back to
up-worlders."

"He said that it was a drug of some kind?"

Lucas nodded, "That's what he said."

"But we don't always eat the fruit," pointed out Nathan.

"I know, that's what I thought. I mean I like it, it's sweet. But I've
never craved after it. Have I?"

"No, neither of us have." Nathan thought for a long minute while Lucas
slipped in the water, to clean his face of the tears.

"What if we stay away from it for a day or so and just see?" he suggested.

"That's what Dad asked as I was leaving the boat with you."

"Boat? I thought you didn't like going near them?" Lucas pulled himself
up beside Nathan and looked a little sheepish.

"I'm afraid I panicked when I saw you hurt. I took you straight to Wendy
on the Questor, and while she examined you on deck, I, well, I ended up
there as well."

Nathan pulled back, surprised. "You climbed onto the deck of the Questor?"

Lucas reached out and laid a hesitant hand on Nathan's cheek. "I thought
you were dying," was all he said and Nathan gathered him into his arms.
Still in his arms, Lucas told Nathan about how his wounds had healed
themselves and how, as he'd been healing, Lucas hadn't sensed him at all.

"That's what got me worried enough to get aboard the Questor," he said,
pulling back to look into Nathan hazel eyes. "I really thought that you
were dying, that you were going to leave me." Nathan looked down at the
faded marks on his chest and tail, he ran a finger across one of them and
winced a little at the tenderness. Lucas nodded and showed a shocked
Nathan his back. Nathan was horrified at the crisscrossing of marks Lucas
showed him, but the young merman just shook his head.

"To tell you the truth, I didn't even realise that I was injured until
Wendy saw them. Then when she cleaned them, then they hurt!" Nathan's
laugh was a little choked and his hug was gentle. Lucas suddenly
remembered his promise to call Jonathan when Nathan had regained
consciousness. He stretched backward and picked up the com-link.

"I didn't want to go back near the wreck until it was completely checked
out, so I got a com-link from Jonathan before I left." Nathan stared at
him strangely until Lucas asked him what was wrong.

"You're not so suspicious any-more, are you?"

"Wellll, I've come to the conclusion that they can't all be out to get
us, up-worlders that is," he explained. "They helped you and didn't
listen to my father when he was going on about keeping me on board when I
tried to leave, so yeah, I've stopped being really suspicious. I'll just
be a little suspicious now, okay?"

"Okay," laughed Nathan, "Now are you going to call or do you want me to
do it?"
They got through to Jonathan and the others.

"Lucas is that you? How is Nathan? Thank god you called, we've been
really worried."

Lucas stared at the com-link then looked up at Nathan. "Why were you
worried? I said that I'd call as soon as Nathan regained consciousness..."

"That was yesterday!"

"What? What are you talking about, it's been only a couple of hours
since I left you."

"Lucas, it's been almost 29 hours since you left!" The two mermen looked
at each other in shock.

"It's the next day Lucas," put in Wendy, "I've been worried that Nathan
was more hurt then I thought."

"I know I dozed off a couple of times, but I didn't realise so much time
had elapsed."

"How is Nathan? Has his wounds kept healing? And your back, how's that?"

"Well now that you've told us so much time has passed, I can understand
why they're almost healed. Can you believe that," Lucas said on the side
to Nathan, "29 hours!" Jonathan went on with his news.

"When I called yesterday they told me that the seaQuest will be released
from sea-dock and her crew recalled. She'll be here as fast as possible.
We did a complete sweep of the wreck and the surrounding area for any-more
surprises with the mini-whiskers, but I'd like to do a more thorough one
with the seaQuest So, do you want to wait for the seaQuest before coming
back, just in case?"

"We'll wait until the two of us are feeling a little better before we
return."

"Okay. Nathan, we'll call as soon as the seaQuest has arrived."

"Jonathan? Is my father still there?"

"Ah, yes Lucas he is. Neither Dr Smith or I like the idea of him running
around babbling about that *sea fruit* of your's, so we've decided to keep
him around for a little while."

"Can I talk to Wendy please," at Nathan's look, Lucas held up a hand,
then when Wendy's voice came over the link he asked his question. "Do you
still have mine and Nathan's samples with you?"

"Yes, Lucas, I brought some to work on."

"Can you do me a favour and check out what my father said about the fruit
affecting Nathan and I. I would really like to know." Nathan nodded, good
idea, he mouthed.

"I'll get right on it Lucas, and don't let what your father said bother
you." They broke contact and the two merman sat there looking at one another.

"So now we wait?" suggested Lucas.

"We wait," agreed Nathan, "I just can't believe it though, 29 hours."

"But just think Nathan, all that time while you where out of it, I wasn't
hungry, I didn't even think of eating that fruit, or anything else."

Doctor Wolenczak's words still hovered in the minds of the two mermen.
Nathan lay on his side, on the cool white coral sand in the small dim
grotto. His tail was drawn up to his chest and his hands were nestled
under his cheek. Lucas' gaze was soft as he watched over his lover's
restful sleep. His thoughts were distant as he sat there, letting a
handful of sand drift down from one hand to the other.

Where would he be right now if Darwin hadn't given them the Gift? On the
seaQuest, working on his computer in his cabin? Would he have ever got up
the courage to tell the Captain of the seaQuest, and a man much older then
himself, that the emotions he'd always felt weren't the father/son
affection that Captain Bridger had thought they were?

His gaze fell on the serene sleeping face of his lover and he smiled to
himself. No, there was no way that he would have ever told Captain Bridger
what had been hidden in his heart. Then Lucas stopped smiling and thought
for a second; maybe he wouldn't have been able to because he'd never have
realised it himself, the mind hid from things it couldn't have.

Lucas sat forward, his hand just touching the brown hair spread out on
the sand. He was older in this body and Nathan was younger, there was no
false boundary that they had to cross. Lucas realised that it had taken a
complete change, the equalising of the two of them so that the love they
had always felt could be said, expressed in the ultimate union. Nothing
could or would come between them now.

Tossing the sand he held onto the floor, Lucas lay down beside his lover.
Moving onto his side, laying spoon-like just behind Nathan, Lucas placed
one arm over Nathan's waist, and rested his cheek on the other, letting
himself drift off as he listened to the breathing of the one beside him.

Nathan woke first a little later, feeling the weight of Lucas' arm across
his waist. He didn't move, just lay there, his breathing matching that of
his lover. His whole life he'd tried to do what was right. Leaving the
Navy after Robert's death, hiding out after he lost Carol, then returning
to the seaQuest when he was needed. Always correct, always appropriate!

Well, now he was doing something that might not be the correct or
appropriate thing, he was doing something for himself! His old friend Bill
Noyce had been right when he'd come to the island to pull him, kicking and
screaming, back to reality. Now Nathan had moved onto another kind of
reality and he wasn't going to take any chances on losing what he had
gained.

Turning over onto his back, Nathan reached out and smoothed his palm down
the arm that rested across him. Lucas slept on, but he nestled a little
closer to the warmth beside him. Nathan let his gaze linger on the
youthful face of his lover. When had he come to his senses? When had he
know that he and Lucas belonged together? Aboard the seaQuest? He'd never
liked it when the boy had gone his own way, when Lucas would leave the
seaQuest and him behind for any reason, and now he knew why.

With a gentle finger, Nathan traced the blond eyebrows and the straight
nose. Lucas murmured something in his sleep and tightened his hold on
Nathan's waist. Moving a little closer, Nathan kissed Lucas softly,
pushing him carefully onto his back, he then leaned down and kissed him
gently awake.

"Hmmm, Nathan? You should still be resting, you were badly hurt you
know," his voice was soft, almost a whisper. For some reason, when he
replied, Nathan's voice was equally soft.

"I just wanted to tell you something." Lucas opened his eyes and smiled,
his arms coming up around Nathan's neck to pull him within reach of his
lips. When he could speak again, Nathan rested on his elbows in the soft
sand, his hands gently playing with Lucas' long hair, his gaze not quite
meeting the eyes below him.

"I," he gathered his courage, "I needed to tell you that no matter what
anybody finds out, I don't want it to go back to the way it was." Lucas'
smile froze on his face, and Nathan hurried into speech. "I know I've told
you before that I love you and shown you so many times that I can't do
without you, but I need to tell you that, even if the two of us are somehow
changed back to up-worlders, I don't want to be without you." Still Lucas'
face was frozen, Nathan pulled away, his fist striking the soft sand. How
could he tell him what he felt inside?

Lucas reached out and stopped Nathan's hand from pounding the sand. And
Nathan looked up into a face that was a mixture of the old and the new
Lucas. The young merman's face was serious. "I understand what you're
saying Nathan. Before, when you were asleep, I'd decided that no matter
what, I wasn't going to be separated from you. Even, as you say, if they
manage to change us back! I really want to think that we'd have discovered
the feelings that we had for one another for ourselves, even if Darwin
hadn't given us the Gift." Nathan gathered Lucas into a crushing embrace,
and Lucas hugged him back just as hard.

They didn't make love, or even kiss, they just lay there, in each others
arms. Lucas stroked his hand across Nathan's chest and Nathan let his
fingers comb through Lucas' long blond hair.

Lucas dozed off again and as their thoughts seemed to blend, Nathan felt
him start to dream. He let himself drift off too, his dreams and those of
Lucas joined and became one.

*Lucas awoke on his bunk and stared around the cabin in shock. He fell
rather then climbed down from the top bunk and staggered up the stairs and
out into the corridor. His legs felt strange as he ran towards the
Captain's cabin.

Nathan awoke with a start, the book on his chest dropping to the floor as
he sat up. He found himself staring at his slippered feet. He was still
staring at them when the door to his cabin was flung open and Lucas fell
into the room, rather then entered. He slammed the door behind him and
locked it. Nathan climbed to his feet and took only one step towards Lucas
and the door. Then they just stood there staring at one another.

When they tried to speak no words came out, when they tried to move
closer neither could. Then they looked down to see why they couldn't move,
they discovered that both of them where chained to the walls of the
Captain's cabin. Nathan on one side and Lucas on the other, facing each
other but unable to touch. They were held by the structures of their world
and neither were strong enough to break them.

Then as happens in dreams, the whole thing changed and they found
themselves on the Bridge of the seaQuest, Lucas was at his consul and
Nathan sat in his chair. All their friends were around them and everything
was normal.

Normal!

Lucas stared in horror at Nathan, who was dressed as Captain and Nathan
looked across at Lucas who was working at his computer. They both found
that they couldn't move, as if the two of them were glued to their seats.
People came and went on the Bridge, asking them normal, everyday questions
and with a growing horror they found themselves answering them. Things
were just as they had always been on the seaQuest, as they would always be!

Always be!.....*

Lucas woke up calling Nathan's name over and over until Nathan was there,
reaching out for him, holding him.

"It's all right, Lucas, it's all right! It was just a dream! A dream!"

"Lord," groaned the young merman, "that was no dream, it was a damned
nightmare! You were there, you saw it all!"

"Yes, somehow we dreamed the same dream...nightmare. What we were
talking about before we fell asleep somehow entered into our dream."

"And showed us just what it would be like if we did go back!" Lucas
shuddered, "I couldn't go back to that, not after all this."

Nathan held onto Lucas, letting his lovers warmth fill his soul, the
whole thing had been the most horrifying nightmare he'd ever had,
especially when they'd been on the Bridge of the seaQuest and had been
unable to be together, unable to go to each other. Just like it had been
before the change, neither admitting what they had really wanted.

"Let's get out of here," muttered Lucas, "I need some life around me!"
With complete agreement, Nathan picked up the com-link and followed after
Lucas, slipping further into the water. They exited the grotto and found
themselves back amongst the sun filled reef.

Taking a deep breath, Lucas shook his head, "Sorry about that Nathan.
That dream just scared me, scared me a lot."

"It scared me too, it made me see what it could be like if we go back,
I'd forgotten." Even though the reef was just as beautiful as it had been
the last time they'd been here, they were both so involved with their
thoughts that neither really saw it.

Without discussing it, they headed for the surface, and let the waves
lift them into the sunlight. The warmth seemed to help melt the ice from
around their souls and they started to feel a little better. Nathan looked
across to his lover, and reached out a hand.

"Your father's words are just that, Lucas, words. He has no way to
change us back, if he did he would have tried by now. Come on, let's head
back and meet Jonathan and the others."

Lucas gave a little laugh, and took his hand, "Do you remember when you
said that I'd been acting like I was waiting for the other shoe to drop?
You were right, I've been looking for trouble ever since the beginning."
He shook his head and they started to glide across the surface, "I think I
should probably stop doing that now."

The two merman slowly came out of their feeling of depression, and they
started to play on the waves, to *have fun* as Darwin would say. They
rocketed through the water, body surfing across the waves. They danced on
them and followed them across the reef. They dove down deep and then
erupted out of the sea almost flying as they reached for the sky.

As they played, a pod of dolphins appeared around them and joined in.
Among these clowns neither could stop themselves from really letting go.
They played a kind of leap-frog with their new friends and their laughter
echoed across the waves. They spun and twisted, showing the dolphins that
they weren't like other humans they might have run across. The pod crowded
around them, showing off in ways that even amazed an old hand like Nathan.

Mothers brought their babies up to the mermen and showed them off. Young
dolphins, like teenagers, sometimes went a little too far and had to be
calmed down by their elders. All in all, it was just what Lucas and Nathan
needed. Friendly strangers who showed that they didn't care who they were,
or what they were. They spent the afternoon playing until, as evening
started to fall, they all headed out to sea, with the mermen close behind.

Suddenly the dolphins in front peeled back, calling out that there was
something ahead. They, the dolphins and mermen, gathered speed and with a
lot of curiosity headed for the thing. Suddenly Darwin appeared and the
other dolphins welcomed him as did Nathan and Lucas. The three friends
danced around each other, hugging and touching one another.

A mini-whisker popped up in front of them, startling them apart.

"Nathan, Lucas?" Jonathan's voice echoed around them and after waving at
their departing friends, the three water breathers from the seaQuest headed
closer. "Nathan, we've scanned the area and retrieved all the explosives
from around the wreck, as yet we have no clues as to who laid them or who
the target was. I've got people trying to trace the explosives and timers,
to see if we can backtrack them somehow." The three headed for the surface
and appeared at the stern of the Questor.

Tim and Miguel were there, sitting on the platform, waiting for them.
"Jonathan said to tell you that the seaQuest has departed Cape Quest," said
Tim. Lonnie joined them and kicked her feet in the raising swells. Nathan
and Lucas moved a little closer and rested their arms on the heaving
platform, so very close to their former comrades from the seaQuest.

Lonnie stared and stared at them, thinking how beautiful they were.
Lucas had always been a cute kid, but now! And the Captain, he was
gorgeous! Lucas felt the stares, but found that he didn't mind that much.
It wasn't fear that had them staring at him and Nathan, it was curiosity,
and he himself had been bitten by that bug nearly his entire life. He
looked over to the Monarch, that was still moored only a couple of dozen
feet away.

"What are they still doing here?" he asked Miguel.

"Frank King and his daughter want to speak to you about something.
Jonathan wouldn't let them use the com-link, so they've just waited until
you came back."

Lucas looked across at Nathan, "Do you want to?"

Nathan shrugged, "Might as well, we'll be too busy when the seaQuest gets
here." The two merman and the dolphin pushed away from the stern of the
Questor and swam over to the Monarch. One of the crew on that ship saw
them and called out to Frank. The elder King appeared on deck and headed
for the stern. He climbed out onto the diving platform and smiled down at
the two mermen and the dolphin. "Nathan, Lucas and friend?"

"His name's Darwin," said Lucas.

"Well then, and Darwin, I hope that I haven't interrupted anything," he
said, nodding across at the Questor as he sat down between the two resting
mermen. "But I needed to talk to the two of you before you disappeared. I
have a proposition for you, the two of you." He kicked his feet a little
then looked across at Nathan, "My people are specially trained for their
jobs. From my daughter down, they all know what to do in raising treasure
like that on your wreck. I want your permission to work the wreck." The
two merman just looked at each other, then back at Frank, who went on
before they could speak.

"From what I can gather, you're going to busy in trying to discover who
laid those explosives." He leaned forward a little, "Your wreck is the
perfect site. Not too much damage of the hull, and everything is grouped
around it, not spread all over the place. Your Commander said that he'll
leave us the EVA suits if you agreed. That would make the whole thing
easier." Frank stared at them, blinking a little as the wind blew water in
his face.

"Sure, if you want," was all Nathan said.

"You don't mind?"

Lucas and Nathan moved up closer to Frank, one on either side, holding
onto the heaving platform.

"We found the wreck by complete accident. We took what we wanted," Lucas
touched the ruby on his chest.

"I think that Jonathan thought that with the wreck in our names it would
make our willingness to stay in the area a little easier," Nathan shrugged,
"and then our existence became tied up with the news of the wreck, and the
rescue."

"Yes," Frank nodded, "As soon as news of the two of you came out, helping
in the rescue, it was just about overshadowed by your discovery of the
Flaxen Locks. Everybody likes to hear about gold and jewels, I'm surprised
the news people haven't tracked you down yet!"

"We asked Jonathan to keep a lid on the co-ordinates, we didn't expect
your daughter to figure it out."

Frank reached out and gripped the edge of the platform, the swell were
growing and the setting sun was filling the sky with colour. "So you don't
mind us being contracted to raise the treasure?"

"You write it up and Lucas and I will sign it."

Frank jumped up and almost fell of the platform, "You wait right here,
and I'll be back in a sec." He disappeared into the shadows of the
darkened ship and his daughter moved up to take his place. She knelt at
the stern and rested her arms on the railing. "I can't wait to get back
down there," she grinned, "thank you very much for letting us work it."

"You just remember about those currents and keep your eyes peeled for
anything else. It's as wild down there as any new territory." Her father
appeared with a waterproof container that he handed down to Lucas. "Take
this and look it over. We'll still be here in the morning."

With a quick wave, the mermen surged back across the waves to the other
ship. In the darkness, they had to call out Jonathan's name. He appeared
and Lucas handed him the tube with the contract in it.

"Jonathan, can you look over this thing and tell us if it'll work?"

"This from King and his daughter? For them to work the wreck?"

"Yes, and as paper and water don't mix too well, I thought you and the
others could check it out for Lucas and me."

"Sure Nathan. Oh, by the way, the seaQuest will be here about dawn, and
Tony's aboard her."

"That's great," nodded Lucas.

"We'll see you in the morning then." Just as they were about to turn
away, Lucas turned back, "Are you sure you pulled all the explosives out?"
Jonathan nodded and hit the palm of his hand with the tube, "Yep, we had
the whiskers go over the whole place, clean as a whistle!"

He watched as the two of them submerged, shaking his head, it would take
him a long time to get used to that. Climbing to his feet, Jonathan
headed back to the galley and his dinner. It was Miguel's turn to cook
tonight, and the man had promised a meal they wouldn't forget.

Nathan and Lucas spiralled down to the wreck, both of them feeling just a
little nervous about entering it. "Let's just nip in and get our stuff,
then find a place out here to sleep. I don't like the idea of spending the
night in there." Nathan promptly agreed. They headed in and collected the
com-links that had got left behind, and then without any prompting, covered
over their sleeping place with a couple of casts. How they slept was no
ones business but their own. Then they headed back out to the freshness of
the surrounding water. They halted just outside and looked around.

"How about over there?" pointed Lucas at a solid shelf of stone that
formed a overhang had been exposed by the explosion that had hurt Nathan.
"Nothing has had the chance to move in yet, and the whole thing is solid
enough." They swam over and had a good look around and Nathan agreed. The
shelf was high enough for the two of them to sit upright and long enough
for them to curl up together.

"Perfect," beamed Nathan, his smile making Lucas' insides twitch just a
little. With shaking hands, Lucas dropped the com-links against the back
wall, and slowly pulled his chains over his head. Then he slipped his
headpiece off and placed it with the chains and com-links. Before he
turned to Nathan, he raked his finger though his hair, trying to calm
himself down. But all that forced calmness disappeared as he turned and
saw that Nathan had also removed his jewels and headpiece. He saw the look
in his lovers eyes and his hands dropped down to his sides. His breathing
got heavy and his hands started to shake even more.

Nathan slid a little closer, his own breathing was getting faster and he
found himself watching Lucas' hands shake. Reaching out he took them into
his own trembling hands. "What's wrong?" he said softly, his thumbs rubbing
the sensitive palms of Lucas' hands.

"Nothing, nothings wrong..." squeaked Lucas, his eyes on Nathan's hands.

"Something's made you nervous. Tell me, please." Lucas pulled his hands
free and Nathan let them go, but Lucas didn't pull them too far away. They
crept up Nathan's flanks until they found his waist. He moved a little
closer so that his grip on Nathan's waist could tighten a little harder.

"After all this trouble today, I've realised that what we have is
something wonderful and I've always been one to let wonderful things drop
through my fingers."

"Not any more, Lucas," murmured Nathan as he pulled the young merman into
his arms and lowered his head to gently kiss his lovers lips. Lucas let
his arms curl around Nathan's waist, the palms of his hands flat on his
lovers back, bringing them closer, chest to chest. Nathan deepened the
kiss and Lucas followed where he led. His fingers spiked through Nathan's
rich brown hair, then dipping into the whorls on his lovers ears.

Nathan pulled free and they sighed softly together. He closed his eyes
as Lucas' fingers left his ears and discovered his beard. Dipping his
head, Lucas let his lips follow the path of his fingers. Down his lovers
cheek and under his chin, his tongue flicking out to taste and savour what
he found.

"God, Lucas," moaned Nathan, "you're killing me!" All Lucas did was
murmur a reply, he was too busy to talk. Nathan massaged the smooth
shoulders of his lover, his hands getting rougher as Lucas drove him
higher. Then he took control. Flipping Lucas onto his back, Nathan
gripped his chin in a hard grasp and pulled Lucas' lips to his. His kiss
was hard and long, pouring all his love into it. Nathan ground the youth's
body beneath his, letting Lucas feel his weight, letting him feel his
hunger, and Lucas returned that hunger tenfold.

Reaching out with his tail, he grabbed hold of Nathan's thrashing tail
and clutched it hard in his coils. Before Nathan could react, Lucas had
changed places with the older merman. Nathan found himself on his back in
the sand, with Lucas towering over him. Suddenly Lucas found the grip he
was looking for on Nathan's tail and his lover tensed beneath him. Lucas
bore down and Nathan groaned, reaching up to tightly grasp Lucas' wrists as
his hands pressed into his lover's heaving chest. Lucas had control and
this time he was using it to the fullest. He let his hands slide off
Nathan's chest, laced his fingers through Nathan's and held them fast over
his head.

Lucas looked down on Nathan's straining body, his hungry gaze taking in
the look on Nathan's face and the way his muscles writhed across his
shoulders. But Lucas held Nathan's hands fast and with clenched teeth
showed Nathan what pleasure was all about. The cries almost came as one,
but Lucas didn't let up with his love making. All his worry from their
long day had found an outlet and he just let it all pour out.

His hands moved over Nathan slumped body, fingers finding places that
even Nathan didn't know were sensitive. Finding and exploring those
discoveries soon had Nathan waking up. Hands that had laid limp on the
sand started to twitch back to life and he opened his eyes to see Lucas
bending over him with a smile that almost set the water around them of fire.

Blue eyes met hazel and the two lovers' heads moved almost
instantaneously and their lips met before either realised what they were
doing. Hard hands stroked over smooth skin, nails rasped and dug into that
smooth skin until the hunger rose again. With their tails coiled, and
their arms locked, they made love until their bodies, exhausted and still
intertwined, slept.

~~~~~~~*~~~~~~~

Miguel Ortiz sat back in his seat, looking around guiltily, one of his
mini-whiskers had picked up a noise and he'd sent it to investigate. That
had been a big mistake. When he seen that it was Nathan and Lucas he had
reached to disengage it, but then he had seen what they were doing and his
hand had stopped. He'd sat there and watched as the mermen, people who had
once been two completely different people, make burning love to one another.

*And he'd just sat there and watched the whole thing!*

Miguel rubbed his hand down his chest and felt the sweat. His breathing
was rough and his face was flushed and he knew just how his body had
reacted to it all. The knowledge that what he had just done was wrong was
right there in front of him but he'd been unable to stop himself.

*The whole thing had been beautiful in a strange exotic way.*

Miguel remembered how he had winced when they had cried out, and how he
had looked around to see if anyone else had heard, impossible really, as he
was the only one wearing the ear-phones. He knew that he'd been becoming
more fascinated by them, but this was something that no one should have
seen. Ever since he had seen that picture of Lucas and the Captain just
after they'd changed he'd known that they were more then the friends they'd
been on board the seaQuest, much more. And now he'd seen just how much
more then friendship that was.

Leaning against the consul, Miguel rubbed the back of his neck. At first
he'd been shocked by the change that had come over them, then, when he'd
seen them up close, he become fascinated by that same change. When he'd
gone below, to the wreck, he'd been drawn to them, to watch them, to listen
to them. Now his fascination had gone one step further, and he didn't know
if that was good or bad.

With resolution he reached towards the consul and again erased all record
of what he'd just witnessed. He was making a habit of removing the
memories from his whiskers, he only wished he could do the same to his own
memories.

~~~~~~~*~~~~~~~

Wendy Smith slowly closed the door behind her as she backed out of the
cabin. Miguel had been so wrapped up in what he'd been watching, that he
hadn't realised she'd been right there with him. And being so close to
him, Wendy had *seen* just about everything he had, including his emotional
reaction. She leaned back against the closed door and stared out at the
dark ocean. Her reaction to what Miguel had seen had been almost identical
to his. She had known that Lucas and Nathan were intimate, but to actually
see them make love like that....Wendy shivered, and she honestly didn't
know if it was from the cool breeze or the memories she now had.

~~~~~~~*~~~~~~~

Stark sat fishing off the stern of the small boat she had hired. The
dark glasses she wore hid the anger that flashed in her eyes. Her sonar
had picked up the explosion and she'd known as soon as she'd seen it that
not all of the charges she'd set had gone off. Her hands gripped the pole
so hard it groaned under her hands.

"So close," she grunted, as she thought back to the feelings that erupted
inside her as she'd listened to the one charge that had gone off.
Afterwards she'd managed to tap into the UEO line that Ford used to contact
Cape Quest. Only hurt! She looked at the lovely sunset and only saw the
red of anger and hate. That man had more lives then a damn cat. Jumping
to her feet, she gave up all pretence of innocence and threw the fishing
rod against the deck under her feet. Cursing through her clenched teeth,
she pulled up the anchor and then headed for the boats controls and started
up the engines. If Bridger refused to die, then maybe she could destroy
him in other ways.

"Like you did me," she growled out loud, her eyes a blaze of madness.

~~~~~~~*~~~~~~~

This time, if Nathan and Lucas dreamed, it wasn't the kind that lingered
after they awoke. They lay there in each others arms, letting their bodies
slowly come to life.

"Good morning," murmured Lucas as he kissed Nathan's bearded cheek.

"Morning," muttered Nathan, who'd never been a morning person.

Lucas stoked a soft hand over Nathan's bristles, then over his own smooth
skin. "You know, I've only just realised that if I am older in this body,
why haven't I needed to shave?"

Nathan sat up, his tail uncurling from around Lucas'. "Well, my beard
hasn't grown that much since the change," his hand reached up and he
touched his long hair and then looked at Lucas' unruly mop.

"But our hair has surely grown longer." Lucas sat up and stretched,
pushing his arms out in front of him, fingers laced. Nathan watched the
way the muscles moved under his skin and remembered the night before.
Lucas grinned across at him, he knew exactly where Nathan's mind was, but
he shook his head.

"We've got an appointment up-world, remember?"

"Yeah, but they haven't called us, so maybe the seaQuest isn't here yet."
Nathan reached for Lucas, who laughed as he pushed himself out of their
hidey-hole with a flap of his tail and fluke. Nathan's hand just missed
it's grip and his fingers slid down Lucas' flank. With a chuckle, Lucas
was away, and Nathan was close behind him. They raced back and forward
through the murky pre-dawn sea, heading for the surface all the time.

With a hard thrust of their flukes, the two breached and spun around,
hitting the water with a loud slap, laughing all the time.

The people of the seaQuest stood on the deck of the Questor, coffee cups
forgotten in their hands. They had come up on deck to wait for the
seaQuest's coming and had become an audience. In a group, they moved to
the railing and stood and stared as Nathan and Lucas danced across the
waves. Darwin soon joined them and the three preformed feats that seemed
impossible to the land bound up-worlders.

"How can they fly so far?" murmured Lonnie, the coffee dripping from her
forgotten mug. Miguel and Tim stood on either side of her, mouths open and
staring. Jim and Jonathan exchanged a quick look before they went back to
watching. And Wendy felt the joy all three participants were experiencing.

Lucas suddenly breached, his blonde hair flashing in the dawn light, the
gold on his chest catching the light in the same way. His whole body spun
around like a corkscrew, his laughter echoing all around them. Nathan
followed soon afterwards, doing a 360 flip in the air, head over tail, his
own yell of joy responding to Lucas' laughter. Darwin, showing off just a
little, did both at the same time as he came free of the water. To the
onlookers the mermen and dolphin seemed to be moving in slow motion, but
none of them even thought of getting a camera, they just watched and
marvelled.

Glory King called her father and the others out of the galley, and
grumbling a little they moved out onto the wind swept deck. Then they saw
what was going on and silence fell like a curtain. These people had just
about seen it all over their years of treasure hunting, but this...

Nathan, Lucas and Darwin, oblivious of their audience, played and laughed
until the sun was well and truly up. And all that time, not a soul on
either ship moved or spoke.

The show finished as suddenly as it started and the frozen people started
to move their stiffened bodies and talk about what they'd just seen.

"That twist that Lucas did.." said Tim as he turned his hand in the air.

"And did you see how far they came out of the water? It was like they
were flying!" marvelled Lonnie. Jonathan and Jim just shook their heads in
wonder. But Miguel found himself remembering the night before, as did
Wendy.

A call from the stern of the ship had them rushing to the diving platform
and the mermen waiting there. All of them began to babble about what
they'd just watched. Nathan only laughed, while Lucas found himself
blushing, which had Nathan laughing even harder. Ignoring Nathan
completely, Lucas asked if the seaQuest had called yet.

"Tony called a little while ago. It seems we've got company coming on
the seaQuest." At Lucas' curious look, Jonathan went on.

"An Admiral Darby heard about the booby-traps. He's bringing the
seaQuest personally."

"Oh great!" muttered Nathan shaking his head. "That's all we need, that
Admiral."

"Do you know Admiral Darby, Nathan?"

"I had a couple of run-ins with him when I was putting together the
seaQuest project years ago. He didn't like a lot of my ideas and let me
know quite frequently."

"How do you think he'll cope with the two of you?" asked Wendy.

Nathan rubbed the back of his neck and looked at Lucas, "Remember how
paranoid Lucas was about going on board the seaQuest after we were
changed?" Everybody nodded, including Lucas. "Well, we definitely *will
not* be going aboard the seaQuest now!"

"Damn," said Jonathan, "one of those!" He grabbed Jim and pulled him
aside. Jim Brodie was Head of Security and he was the Executive Officer,
between them they should be able to head off any weird ideas this Admiral got.

"Don't worry about this Nathan, I told Lucas before that we weren't going
to be a party to anything happening to the two of you and we meant it."
All the crew members came out with agreements and nods. Nathan moved a
little away from the Questor, pulling Lucas with him.

"Want to have a little fun?" he asked grinning from ear to ear. Lucas
knew exactly what he was going to do, so he nodded. Calling out to the
Questor that they'd be back in a little while, the two of them submerged
and headed in the direction the seaQuest would be coming from. It wasn't
long before they heard her, so they sped up a little.

"There!" pointed Lucas, coming to a halt as the imposing craft appeared
out of the haze. Then they moved towards the seaQuest, turned when they
got within a few yards and started to ride the massive bow wave she had.
No whiskers were out and it wasn't until a crew member happened to look out
a porthole that they were sighted. She called the Bridge and when he
heard, Tony couldn't help the laughter from escaping.

"Is something funny, seaman Piccolo," asked that voice that Tony was
beginning to loath.

"Hey, sir, it's just like the two of them to bum a lift."

"Open the main view-port," ordered the Admiral, and the seaman at
Henderson's consul did so. Lewis Darby had seen the vids that showed the
changed Captain Bridger and the Wolenczak boy, but the reality was
something completely different, as all who had seen them could agree.

"Get a whisker out there! I want to be able to talk to them."

"No need sir," put in Tony, "they have com-links."

"What! Com-links, who gave them com-links?"

"The Commander sir, you know, Commander Ford, the guy in charge now."
Tony always liked to push. Darby had been against putting the seaQuest
into the hands of such a young officer, but wiser heads prevailed. Ford
had been well trained by Bridger and knew the seaQuest and her crew
backwards and forwards. Tony couldn't wait to tell Jonathan that he was
now in command, but so far the Admiral hadn't left the Bridge long enough
so that he could sneak the news out to him. Darby gritted his teeth and
ordered [always a damn order, muttered Tony] the communication officer to
open the link.

"Captain Bridger? Can you hear me?"

"No need to shout Lew," Nathan knew the man hated being called that, but
he never could help himself, "we're mermen now, not deaf."

The man stood there, mouth open and shocked until he heard Tony's
chuckle. Spinning around, he glared at the helm, where Tony sat. "Seaman
Piccolo," he ground out, "are we getting any closer to Commander Ford's
position?"

"Just about there, Admiral sir!" was the pert reply.

"Take us up when we reach him," the Admiral moved to the main view-port
and watched Nathan, Lucas and a dolphin as they rode along in front of the
seaQuest.

As the ship surfaced, they peeled off and headed back to the Questor.
The mermen were laughing as they surfaced, Nathan pushed his hair out of
his eyes.

"That man was always so damn serious," he chuckled.

The crew of the Questor stood ready to transfer across to the seaQuest,
but Jonathan waved Lucas and Nathan closer. He held the water-proof tube
in his hand.

"Nathan, we checked this over last night like you asked and we think you
and Lucas should sign it. The deal is good, very good."

"Got a pen?" queried Nathan as he and Lucas swam over to the diving
platform. Tim handed one over to Jonathan, who unrolled the tube of paper
just enough for the mermen to sign the document. Neither worried that they
hadn't read the thing, to tell the truth, neither cared one way or another
what it said. The wreck had been fun at first, but ever since the
explosion, they had felt too nervous to hang around any-more. King would
have hit the roof if he'd known that they would have just as likely given
him the whole damn thing!

Jonathan re-sealed the tube after they signed it and Lucas swam across to
the Monarch and gave it to one of the crew-man, telling him to give it to
King, then he turned and returned to the Questor. Nathan patted him on the
shoulder, it had taken the youth a lot of courage to actually go across to
the other ship like that. Lucas just smiled and took the hand in his.

They watched in silence as the seaQuest surfaced a good distance away
from the two ships. Jonathan and the others climbed into the Questor's
dinghy and headed over to the seaQuest. A couple of seamen took the dinghy
back to the Questor and stayed aboard, intending to return the ship back to
port.

Lucas, Nathan and Darwin followed after them, and watched as they climbed
down into the seaQuest. Then they headed back to the main view-port on the
Bridge. As they looked into the seaQuest, Tony saw them and waved. They
waved back and grinned at him, pointing at Darwin. Admiral Darby had left
the Bridge to talk to Ford, so when Tony told one of the back-up crew to
open the Moon Pool doors no one argued. Darwin headed for his normal entry
into the seaQuest as Tony grinned fit to break his face and the mermen
grinned back. Seconds later, Darwin appeared in the Bridge Pool.

"Welcome back, Darwin," called Tony.

"Darwin home," squeaked the dolphin and Tony laughed again, the Admiral
was going to be really pissed.

Ford climbed down into the seaQuest, turned, and almost ran Admiral Darby
down.

"Sir! Sorry sir, I didn't see you!"

"Coming down!" was the call from above, so Ford hustled the Admiral away
from the ladder.

"Commander Ford, reporting for duty," he saluted smartly. The Admiral
stared at him and Jonathan wondered if he had dirt all over his face from
the way the man glared at him.

"Tell your people to report to their stations then follow me Commander."
He stood and waited as the others entered the seaQuest and as Ford ordered
them to the Bridge. Darby was too wrapped up in himself to wonder at the
stares he was receiving from them. Then he spun on his heel and marched
towards the Ward Room. Ford shrugged at the looks he got and hurried after
the man.

"Shut the door, Commander," Darby barked out after they entered the Ward
Room. Then he stood there staring at Ford. Ford was too much of an old
hand at this kind of thing, so he just stood there, at attention, and waited.

"Commander, I have been ordered to turn the command of the seaQuest over
to you as soon as you boarded." Ford stood there, shock plain on his face.

"Command of the seaQuest? But sir, Nathan Bridger is the Captain of the
seaQuest."

"As you have no doubt noticed Commander, your Nathan Bridger is not quite
Captain material any more, now is he?"

Ford stood there, staring at the obviously angry man. "But why me sir?
I'm a Commander."

"And you'll stay a Commander, I got that much out of those madmen," he
muttered the last part to himself. "The leaders of the UEO decided that
you were the best man for the job, so..." The Admiral headed for the door,
but before he left, he turned back to the bemused Commander. "And don't
think that you're getting rid of me. I'm staying on the seaQuest until I'm
good and ready to leave," he slammed out of the Ward Room.

Ford hadn't heard a word the Admiral said, he was still in shock. Slowly
he sat down and all he said was, "Wow."

On the Bridge, the others had been told the good news as they re-claimed
their seats. Tony even managed to pass the news onto Nathan and Lucas
before Darby got back to the Bridge. Darby was so thick skinned that he
didn't feel the temperature drop as he entered the Bridge and headed for
the Captain's chair. He pulled himself up short though as he realised
where he was going. Grumbling to himself, he side-stepped and moved over
to Ford's old position beside O'Neill. Lucky O'Neill.

Nathan had disappeared out of sight, but Lucas was at the view-port
again, hanging upside down in the water, making faces at Tony, who was
trying his damnest not to laugh. Every time Darby looked up, Lucas managed
to vanish from sight, until one time he caught him at it.

"You, get away from there," when Lucas ignored him, Darby turned to
Henderson and ordered her to close the view-port.

"Belay that order, Henderson," said Ford as he entered the Bridge.
"Leave the port open for the time being." The Admiral glared at Ford, but
said nothing. Lucas waved to Jonathan and he waved back.

"Do we still have a link to them?" he asked.

"Yes sir, the com-link is open."

"Lucas, where's Nathan?"

"He's around. Oh and by the way, congratulations Captain."

"No Lucas, I'm in command of the seaQuest, but I'm still a Commander."

"What's wrong with those dunder-heads back at H.Q., don't they know how
good a Captain you'd make?"

Darby stared out at the blonde...merman, and winced inside as he thought
the word. They were both mistakes of nature, and he'd been against the
whole idea of letting them stay free. He was all for taking them to the
nearest research station and finding out just what had happened to change
them. He'd made damn sure that the seaQuest had been completely clear of
anything harmful before he'd even come near the DSV.

Wendy stood beside Jonathan, staring hard at the back of the Admiral's
head, she knew every thought in Darby's mind, and when she got the chance
she was going to tell Jonathan. A splash behind her had her turning and
she saw Darwin in the Bridge Pool. Moving over to it, she smiled down into
the dolphin's knowing eye.

"Hello Darwin, how are you?"

"Darwin fine, have lot's of fun."

Darby turned when he heard the strange voice, and paled when he saw the
dolphin. "Just what the hell is that thing doing on board?"

"That *thing* is Ensign Darwin and a member of this crew!" pointed out a
very calm Ford.

"That *thing*," growled the Admiral, "is Bridger's pet dolphin and it has
no place on this ship. It was also the one, according to your report, that
brought whatever changed those two aboard this ship."

Ford's hand closed tightly around the consul in front of him and still
very calm said, "Darwin is a member of this crew, just like Nathan and
Lucas are members of this crew." His gaze locked onto that of the red
faced Admiral and Darby realised that Ford was only going to be pushed so
far. Tony grinned as he sat at the helm, he'd been right, the Admiral had
been pissed when he'd seen Darwin. Tony liked being right.

Ford turned away from the Admiral and spoke to Ortiz. "How are you going
with that info search on the explosives and detonators?"

"Well sir," he said pulling his earphones from his ears, "that was more
Lucas' thing but I think I tracked the detonators to a armoury robbery two
months ago in New England. I'm having a little trouble with the explosives."

"Any information on the robbers?"

"The clues they found pointed to a group of Survivalists that were based
in the hills around the town that had the Armoury robbery. But no arrests
were made because of lack of evidence."

"What have Survivalists got to do with the seaQuest?" muttered Ford.
Then he went on a little louder, "Can you get some information on the
Survivalists, maybe some names?"

"I'll do my best sir," he said, then went back to work. Ford sat back in
his seat and tried to think what Captain Bridger would do in this
situation. Brodie came up beside him and lent down to speak softly enough
so that only Ford could hear.

"I've got Wolenczak in his cabin under guard, with orders that only you,
I or Dr Smith can give permission for him to have visitors."

"Good, get Dr Smith to check him out in a little while and see if he's
calmed down. But make damn sure that he doesn't get away from your men."
Brodie nodded and left the Bridge. Darby watched him leave, wondering what
they had been talking about.

Lucas gave up his game with Tony, and went to find Nathan. He found him
on the bow of the seaQuest, sitting on the arrowhead, running his hand over
the smooth outer skin. He looked up at Lucas, as he swam up beside him.

"It's warm," he said amazed, "I never knew that it was warm."

Lucas ran his own hands over the mottled surface and nodded. "It's like
sand on a sunny beach." He lay back and stretched, "This is easier then
swimming."

"Yep, but not as fun," grinned Nathan as he reached out and pushed Lucas
of the curved surface then took off. Lucas chased after him, hands
reaching out to grab his fluke. Nathan, on his back, sped in front of
Lucas, laughing at his tries. Flipping over, Nathan led Lucas on a chase
around and through the outer surface of the seaQuest. Again crew members
stared out through port-holes, watching and marvelling. The voice of Dr
Smith stopped the two of them from racing one another around the seaQuest.
A whisker popped up in front of them.

"Nathan, Lucas, can you come to the view port in the sick bay?" In a
moment the two popped up in front of Wendy, the whisker right with them.

"Don't use the com-link," asked Wendy, "I needed to speak to you
privately and Ortiz gave me one of his whiskers."

"What's wrong Wendy?"

"I was just on the Bridge, when I felt something from Darby."

"Let me guess," said Nathan, moving a little closer to the plasti-glass,
"he's scared stiff of the two of us."

"How did you know?"

"Lew Darby is a raving xenophobian, has been for years."

"And he's a Admiral in the UEO?" put in Lucas.

Nathan shrugged. "He was a good sailor a long time ago," he turned back
to Wendy, "Now do you see what I meant back at the Questor when I told you
that neither of us are coming on board the seaQuest?"

"I understand," nodded Wendy, "O'Neill is fixing up a special line on the
com-link that will not go through the Bridge so that we can talk to each
other when ever we want to."

"That's a good idea. How's Jonathan coming with his search for
information?"

"I haven't heard anything yet, shall I meet you at the Bridge?" Nodding,
Nathan and Lucas turned and headed back for the Bridge view-port and Wendy
closed down her link to the whisker and headed to the Bridge herself. When
she got there, Jonathan was standing by the port, talking to the mermen.
She hung back for a moment and observed Darby and she didn't like what she
felt.

Ford was telling Nathan about the Survivalists and the tenuous link to
the robbery. "We managed to track down some names and found out some good
news." Ford started to pace as he went on, "One of the names sounded a bit
familiar to me, so I got Miguel to run it through our computer and came up
with a surprise." He lent on the consul in front of the view-port and
shook his head, "The name was that of a Company that supports the ideals of
these Survivalists, they send out fliers and information packages to
people, and the reason it was so familiar was that Stark used to get mail
from them on a very regular basis."

"Stark!" the name echoed through the Bridge.

"She disappeared after that little trouble we had with her, didn't she?"

"Yes, Nathan, she dropped completely from sight, a lot of the
investigators thought she'd died, but maybe she just found some friends to
hide out with."

"Survivalists! Yes, I can see Marilyn Stark hiding out with people like
that. But why now? Surely she had lots of chances to come after me before
this?"

"I don't know if you know sir, but you and Lucas were all over the
newscasts and she may very well have seen you. Maybe she thinks that
you're not under the protection of the UEO now and regards you as fair game."

"Well she failed this time, I suppose we'll just have to wait for her
next move."

"Maybe not sir, she'd have had to have a boat of some kind to get out
here, so we'll use that to see if we can track her movements. Also, she'd
have needed a suit to get down that deep."

"She could have used remote control droids," put in Henderson.

"No," said Nathan, "Darwin said that he saw someone. She must have had a
EVA suit of some kind."

"We'll get on that as well," nodded Ford. Lucas, meanwhile had gone to
one of the other view-port and was looking round the Bridge. It looked
just as it had when he'd last been on board, and just like the dream he and
Nathan shared. His glance caught that of Miguel's and made a little wave
in his direction. Miguel waved back, after checking that the Admiral
wasn't looking. Lucas reached down for his com-link and held it up and
Miguel nodded, entering the code for the private link O'Neill had arranged.

"Hi there Miguel, how's things?"

"Lucas," murmured the Sensor Chief, "things are okay, but I was wondering
if you could give me a couple of clues on how make this search a little
faster?" Lucas thought for a long moment, trying to picture what Miguel
would have to do, it wasn't easy, a lot of his computer abilities were
slowly fading away, but he still knew enough. Moving a little closer to
the plasti-glass, Lucas walked Miguel through his first steps into the
computer world's Internet Autonomous Zone, a grey area when things are
hidden. Miguel turned out to be a good student.

Lucas turned away from the view-port as Miguel got into the work he was
doing, what he'd just done was from the past, and even though that past had
been his, it wasn't any-more. Leaving Nathan behind to talk to Jonathan,
he started to explore the outside of the seaQuest, something he'd never had
a chance to do before.

Laying where she was, in only a few fathoms, the sun streamed around
seaQuest. She was indeed a fine ship. Lucas looked into portholes,
startling people, who waved back and smiled at him. He wandered all over
the outer hull until he came to one view-port that wasn't open. As he swam
by, he wondered whose cabin it was, then went back to exploring.

The cabin's inhabitant was pacing up and down the small space. The cabin
was starting to close in on him and he wondered how his son had stood it
for all his time on the seaQuest. But he knew that he hadn't given the boy
much of a choice. Dr Wolenczak stopped in front off the locked view-port,
Lieutenant Brodie had done that before he'd left, telling him in no
uncertain terms the reason why he'd locked it. "You didn't want Lucas
around before, so I see no reason why you'd want to see him now!" His son
had a lot of friends, a lot of good friends. Wolenczak sat on the bunk and
wondered if his son had a good father.

To see his son, his brilliant boy, like that had just about broken him,
because he knew deep inside that it was all his fault. He'd sent the boy
here, to this place and these people. He'd sent him into the environment
that just cried out for what had happened between him and Bridger.
Wolenczak leaned forward, arms hanging between his knees, staring at the
floor. He wasn't a fool, he'd known that Lucas was close to his Captain,
he just hadn't known that they had become so close in *that* way.

Just then the door opened and Wendy Smith walked in. Wolenczak looked at
her and he knew that she knew what he was thinking about. Telepaths could
be useful sometimes. "I didn't know they were that close!"

Wendy shook her head as she sat across from him. "They weren't, not while
they were aboard seaQuest. Something like that would have been all over
the ship before the end of the day. I can only surmise that it happened
after the change."

"But they *were* close? I gathered that much from when I spoke to Lucas
and Bridger."

"Yes, sorry to tell you this, but more like father/son than lovers."
Wendy had said the word that Wolenczak couldn't.

"I keep seeing him on that boat, hugging Bridger's body to him," he ran a
shaking hand through his hair, "telling me that Darwin had given him the
one thing he had always wanted! I couldn't believe it," he turned to
Wendy, "I didn't want to believe it! Not my son. Not Lucas!"

Wendy laced her fingers together, her elbows on her knees, "Over the last
couple of years you've spent very little time with your son," the man had
the grace to look ashamed, but Wendy didn't want shame, she wanted
understanding. "You have to remember that during those years he was away
from you, Lucas became a man. The people around him became his blueprints,
those friends he'd had from the first tour, and now those from this. Lucas
became more than the boy you remembered from the past, more then the piece
of baggage that you dropped off on the seaQuest. He's a man, maybe not the
man you wanted but a man nonetheless. And like any parent, you are going
to have to let him go to live his life."

Wendy stared at Wolenczak, watching him with all her senses, feeling his
confusion. As they sat there in silence Wendy felt him slowly come to
grips with what had happened to Lucas, slowly realise that his son wasn't
all *his*, wasn't just Lucas *Wolenczak*, but a separate person.

"I'll," he took a deep breath, "I'll try to do what you ask, Smith. It's
going to take a lot of re-thinking on my part though."

"Then re-think man, have you looked at Lucas now, I mean really seen him
for what he is? That job he did at the resort last week was a great piece
of work. If only for that, you should be proud of what he's become."
Wolenczak chewed his bottom lip, staring at nothing for a long second.

"Do you have any vids on him and Bridger?" What Miguel's mini-whisker
had shown flashed through her mind, but she pushed it away.

"I've got hours of it, Doctor. Would you like to see it?"

"Yes." Wolenczak climbed to his feet, and followed Smith out of his
cabin, well aware of the security man behind him.

Wendy took him to her private lab and sat him down in front of the vid
screen. "Now, this bit was what we got when he first emerged from the
seaQuest changed..." she started the history of what had happened to Lucas
and then Nathan, showing Wolenczak everything she had. And Wolenczak
watched and finally began to marvel at what his son had become.

~~~~~~~*~~~~~~~

Lucas found himself a niche, just behind the main body of the seaQuest
and squeezed himself into it. Leaning against the warm skin of the outer
shell, Lucas swung his tail back and forward, like he was on a swing.
Sitting there, he just mused about things and life and all that.

He was happy! He was always happy being around Nathan, but the seaQuest
and the people she held meant a lot to him and Lucas found that he really
didn't want to change that. It kind of surprised him really, the sadness
he felt when he thought of leaving the seaQuest behind. Maybe he and
Nathan could hang around a little longer before they took off as they had
planned.

He felt him, felt Nathan's nearness before his lover spoke to him.

"You hide pretty good Lucas."

"Hide?" the younger merman looked up. "No, not hide, I just found out
something and wanted to think about it."

Nathan moved up beside him, reaching out a hand so that Lucas could anchor
him close. "You don't want to leave the seaQuest, do you?"

Lucas looked at him, smiling as he realised that they would always be
able to read each over like a book. "Not yet," he said, pulling Nathan a
little closer so that the older merman's tail could twine around his. It
brought him close enough for Lucas to wrap his arms about Nathan's waist
and lay his head on his lovers chest. "Everybody here are our friends, I
know we aren't part of the seaQuest any more, but I just seem to feel
better here."

Nathan put his hands on Lucas' shoulder pushing the merman a little away
from him, so that Nathan could see his face. "That's why I came looking
for you. We *are* still part of the seaQuest. Jonathan told me that even
though I'm not her Captain any-more, and you can't be in charge of her
Computer Services, we are still part of the seaQuest."

"You mean be like glorified Darwin's don't you?"

"No I don't," Nathan hugged him, "I mean that we can do a lot of good,
remember when Tony managed to talk us into staying." Lucas nodded. "Well,
think about it. This is our home, we can go places that even the seaQuest
would have trouble with. Exploring, discovering, think about it, all the
oceans to roam, yes, but not on our own."

~~~~~~~*~~~~~~~

Jonathan closed the Ward Room door behind him and locked it. Then he
called O'Neill to get a secure line to Admiral Noyce.

"Jonathan, it's nice to hear from you. By the way, congratulations."

"Thank you, Admiral," Ford took a deep breath, "I called to ask you a
favour, sir. Admiral Darby is..." Ford searched for a word he could use,
"is creating a slight problem."

"He's causing trouble because of Nathan and Lucas?" translated Noyce.

Ford nodded thankful that he understood. "Yes sir, he's trying to treat
them like a couple of freaks at a side show and the crew are reacting a
little strongly."

Noyce stared out at the young Commander, thinking. "Lewis Darby is a
good man," Ford nodded, "and I can't just pull him out of the seaQuest like
a lowly seaman. I have to have a good reason too recall him."

Ford sat back in his seat, a good reason? He's a pain in the butt,
thought Jonathan, that's good enough, but he didn't say it out loud. Noyce
broke into Ford's musing to ask him if he had any leads on the whoever set
the charges.

"Yes," said Ford sitting upright again, "we think Marilyn Stark might
have something to do with it."

"Stark," muttered Noyce. "Jonathan, there's your good reason."

"Pardon, sir?"

"Stark was under Darby for a short time before she got the seaQuest."

"She was? He didn't say anything about that on the Bridge."

"They had trouble working together, and when she got the seaQuest it
really set him off."

"But, sir, how can that help us to get him off the seaQuest."

"I can recall him to Cape Quest and set him on finding her, he'd jump at
the chance."

"If you think it might work Admiral, let's give it a chance. Do you want
to call him?"

"No," Noyce smiled, "he'll be calling in soon, to make his own report.
I'll listen and nod a few times then make this suggestion to him. You'll
have him leaving the seaQuest so fast, you'll have to make sure he uses a
launch."

"Thank you, Admiral," sighed Ford, "I'll wait for your call." He broke
contact and with a great deal of relief headed back to the Bridge. He said
nothing of his little talk with Noyce, he didn't want anything to get back
to Darby.

~~~~~~~*~~~~~~~

Lucas and Nathan sat together, neither speaking, just being together.
Lucas still held one of Nathan's hands, every once in a while, almost
absentmindedly, he lifted it to his lips and kiss it. And Nathan would
pull him a little closer. Just being together.

"Nathan," said Lucas, finally breaking the silence, "how long since we
had any of that sea fruit?"

"Well," he thought about it, "with that time we lost in the grotto, I'd
say about 36 hours, maybe longer."

"Do you...feel any different?"

"Well... no, not really. How about you? Do you want any of that stuff?"

"I'm hungry sure, but I don't really care what I eat." Nathan thought
about it, and squeezed the hand holding his.

"Your father said that it was a narcotic, didn't he?"

Lucas nodded, "That's what he said."

"Well, all I can say is that neither of us are affected by what he
discovered in the fruit."

"You mean neither of us are human enough, don't you?"

"Don't put words in my mouth," Nathan said hugging the young merman. "I
meant what I said. Just because one thing affects some people one way,
doesn't mean that it'll affect everybody that same way."

Lucas thought about that and then nodded. "Sorry," he said, "I'm still a
bit antsy about Dad and the way he acted."

"I know you are, don't let it worry you. All parents act the same way, I
know I did."

Suddenly the com-links on their gold chain belts both beeped at the same
time, startling the two of them. Untangling themselves, they reached for
them and flipped them on.

"Did you want to speak to the both of us, Jonathan?"

"I didn't know if you were together or not," he said, "I needed to tell
you that Admiral Darby is leaving in a little while. He's going to
personally take over the land search for Stark. I didn't want you to be
startled by the leaving of the launch."

Nathan winked at Lucas, but his voice was completely serious, "Why, thank
you for calling us Jonathan, we'll be right down." They flicked off the
com-links and laughed.

"He did it, I don't know how, but he did it. Jonathan got Lew Darby out
of our hair!" Lucas wrapped an arm around Nathan's waist.

"He didn't like it when I was looking through the view-port at Tony."

"He didn't like it," laughed Nathan, "because you kept making faces."

"Well, so did Tony!"

Nathan gave up and slipped off the structure they were sitting on. "Come
on Lucas, let's go down to the launch bay door and make sure that he's
really leaving."

They swung out and around the main body of the seaQuest and headed for
the launch bay, talking about what they were going to eat when they'd
finish seeing the Admiral off.

"Not the sea fruit though," pointed out Lucas.

"Nope, we'll stick to sushi," smiled Nathan. The launch appeared and was
duly watched as it disappeared into the haze. And the two merman headed
for the Bridge view-port to talk to Jonathan about the future.

"Life is definitely looking up," thought Nathan as he followed after
Lucas, "life is *definitely* looking up."

The End.