"Good morning, Doc," Lucas said happily as he wandered in the kitchen.

"Well, good morning. You certainly sound cheerful this morning," Westphalen said as she finished drying off her cereal bowl.

"What's not to be cheerful about?" Lucas grinned. "It's a beautiful day out there and we don't have to work... the best of all combinations." The boy opened the cabinet and grabbed a bowl and a box of cereal. He put them on top of the counter between the kitchen and the dining room and then went to get the milk from the refrigerator.

"That's true. Nice days like this are usually wasted on work days," Kristin said sitting at the counter with her coffee.

Lucas joined her and poured out his cereal before adding the milk. "So...." he said with a little grin, "what time did he finally make it in last night?"

"2:48," Kristin said disapprovingly. "Good, I'm glad at least that he didn't wake you up."

"Oh, he woke me up," Lucas said around a spoonful of cereal. "It's tradition... he always bounces off my door at least once when he stumbles down the hallway. I just didn't look at the clock."

"I wish he wouldn't do that," Kristin sighed.

"I guess it's his way of blowing off steam," Lucas said with a shrug. "I mean it could be worse. He could be the type who chases after hookers or something," he teased.

Kristin stood with a frown on her face. "Thank you very much for your kind words of encouragement," she said sarcastically. Lucas smiled and put another spoonful of cereal in his mouth and Kristin relented a little. "So what are you doing on this fine day?"

"The guys and I are going to the stock car races and then out to dinner."

"That sounds like fun."

"What are you doing today?" he asked as he picked up his bowl to slurp the last of the milk from the bottom.

"I wish you wouldn't do that," Kristin frowned. "I think I'm going to spend the day giving Nathan a hard time."

"Sounds like a noble pursuit to me," Lucas said as he washed out his bowl. "I gotta get my stuff together," he said heading back to his bedroom.

An hour later Lucas had gone out to the dock to talk to Darwin and Kristin was filling up a pitcher to water the plants when Nathan wandered into the kitchen.

"Good morning, babe," he said placing a quick kiss on Kristin's cheek before turning to the cabinet.

"Good morning," Kristin said frostily.

"Phew," said Nathan turning his head towards her. "It certainly is chilly in here."

"Very funny," Kristin said with a frown as she turned and walked out of the kitchen with the pitcher.

Nathan went around and sat up at the counter while he poured out his cereal. Quietly, he watched her as she watered each of the plants. He'd taken a couple of spoonfuls of his cereal before she headed back to the kitchen to get more water.

"So... what did I do?" he asked putting another spoonful in his mouth.

Kristin stopped and stared at him. "You've got to be kidding," she said reproachfully.

"Did I stay out too late?"

"You're a big boy, Nathan. You can stay out as late as you want to." He was presented with her back as she filled up the pitcher again.

"Uh huh," he said noncommittally. "I guess then that you disapprove of my condition when I got home last night."

Kristin turned and stared at him a while. "We've talked about this before, Nathan, and I think I made my opinion of your drinking pretty clear."

"We talked about my drinking and driving....." Nathan said calmly, "and if you check the driveway you'll see that my car isn't there."

"Where is it?"

"Still over at Casey's."

"So did one of your other drunken friends drive you home?"

Nathan stared impassively at her a little while. "No... ...taxi cab."

"Oh, aren't you a good boy?" Kristin said in her best cynical tone as she carried the pitcher out of the kitchen and onto the porch to water the plants there.

Nathan shook his head discouragingly and picked up his empty bowl and the cereal box. He looked up as Lucas came in from the porch.

"Hey, good morning, Cap," the boy smiled broadly.

Nathan put the cereal box away and moved to the sink. "Good morning.  I'm glad that at least one person in this house is in a good mood."

"I think the Doc's a little pissed at you," Lucas smiled, "....for a change."

"Yeah," Nathan said washing out his bowl. "I guess I had a little too much to drink last night for her delicate sensibilities."

"Looks like it, sir. You didn't try to make a move on her or anything when you got in did you?" he asked conspiratorially.

"Nope," Nathan sighed. "Nothing like that."

"Maybe that's why she's pissed," Lucas offered.

"Very funny, kiddo," Nathan said frowning out towards the porch. Then he shook his head a little and turned his attention back to Lucas. "So what's on your plate today?"

Lucas smiled excitedly. "The guys and I are going to the stock car races and then out to dinner."

"That sounds exciting," Nathan grinned back. "When are they picking you up?"

Lucas looked at his watch, "Um, right now." He went over and picked up his gym bag from the credenza. "See you later, sir," he said heading towards the door.

"Have a good time... and remember your curfew," Nathan called after him. He saw the boy wave to him as he headed off the porch and down the stairs.

Kristin came back in from the porch and glared at Nathan as she passed him at the entrance to the kitchen. Nathan sighed and shook his head a little.

"Kris, I don't understand what the problem is... yes, I got a little toasted last night but what did I do that's so bad?"

Kristin stopped and put the pitcher in the sink before turning towards him and folding her arms across her chest as she leaned back against the counter. "You really don't know?"

"I have no idea what the problem is…." Nathan said sincerely.

"Do you realize at all what kind of example you're presenting to Lucas when you come in drunk like that?" She shook her head a little and continued. "I mean, you were so concerned about what kind of model you were being for him when we were first dating before I moved in. I don't understand why that hasn't continued… why you aren't trying to set a good example with how you drink just like you did when the example was about how men and women relate. At least then the problem was our relationship and what kind of example that was for him but that was a good and healthy thing. I fail to understand why you can't see the problem with showing up drunk."

"He wasn't even awake when I got in last night," Nathan countered.

Kristin fixed him with a hard stare. "Get real, Nathan. You bounced off his door just like you do every time you try to navigate that hallway after drinking too much. You woke him up."

Now it was Nathan's turn to frown. "Damn, I didn't mean to do that. Did he say something to you?"

"No, he just asked what time you'd gotten home since he didn't look at his clock when you woke him," she turned back to the sink and emptied the remaining water out of the pitcher. "By the way," she said over her shoulder, "it seems that he thinks you running into his door when you're drunk is, and I quote, `a tradition'." She turned around again and frowned at him. "He thinks that it's funny." Her voice became low and serious. "I don't find funny, Nathan."

"I think you're being a little over-sensitive. I could be doing a lot worse things than getting drunk once a month."

"Yes," Kristin smiled humorlessly. "Lucas mentioned that you could be running around after hookers."

Nathan smiled slightly much to Kristin's disapproval. "He's got a point."

Kristin glared at him again as she walked from the kitchen drying her hands. "I don't find it funny," she repeated with emphasis.

"Yeah, well, I can't help that. I'm going to take a walk and pick up my car," Nathan said heading for the door. "Do you need me to pickup anything while I'm out?"

"You could use some brains," Kristin responded venomously.

"Uh, huh," Nathan grinned humorlessly, "I'll think about it," he said sarcastically from the porch.

Kristin glared at him as he walked across the porch and then down the stairs finally she just shook her head and turned to go back to the den to get some work done.

A little over an hour later Nathan stuck his head into the den and frowned at Kristin intently studying the large screen of the computer on the desk. "Oh, you're using the den."

"Umm hmmm," Kristin said glancing quickly at him. "Any problem with that?"

Obviously, she hadn't cooled down in the last hour. "No, I guess not. I was going to work on my thesis."

"Damned well about time you did that too," Kristin mumbled in disapproval. She leaned back in the chair and sighed. "I suppose I could do something else."

"No, that's okay," Nathan said hastily. "I've got most of my stuff on my portable. I can use that in the living or the dining room." He came into the den and grabbed up his portable computer and a pile of papers. "Probably better anyways… then I can spread things out a bit."

"Suit yourself," Kristin said shortly as she turned back to her work. Nathan grimaced at her back and headed out to the dining room. He saw her at lunch when she came out of the den to make herself a sandwich and a pitcher of iced tea that she took back into the den with her but that was the only contact he had with her all afternoon. Finally, about 6 p.m. he pushed back his chair from the dining room table and rubbed his eyes. Standing, he stretched his back as he glanced back towards the den and then came to decision.

He walked back to the den and tentatively knocked on the edge of the door. Kristin turned her head from the screen and looked at him silently. "You know you've been working pretty hard all day," Nathan said gently. "Do you feel like going to dinner or something?"

Kristin looked back at her screen and frowned a touch then she looked at Nathan and relented a little. "Actually, I'm making tremendous progress with this study and I'd really hate to break my train of thought."

"How about if I go and pick something up?"

"That would be wonderful," Kristin smiled a little. "Chinese?"

"Sure," Nathan shrugged. "The regular?"

"Yes, please. Thank you."

"No problem," Nathan winked as he turned away from the den.

Thirty minutes later he was back with five containers of Chinese food that he set on the coffee table in the living room. "I'm back," he said as he leaned his head into the den. "You need to take a break and eat out here."

Kristin sighed and saved her work. "Oh, alright." She frowned as she came into the living room where he had set out the food, plates and utensils. "Why not in the dining room?"

"'cause I've got papers all over dining room table," Nathan said crooking his thumb over his shoulder.

Kristin looked over at the multitude of papers scattered haplessly across the dining room table. "So I see. How can you find anything?"

"Oh, I can find things," Nathan said spooning rice out onto his plate. "Just don't go moving anything on me," he grinned. He was relieved as they exchanged small talk over their dinners. Kristin may not be particularly happy with him but at least she was being civil. After they finished their food Nathan offered to clean up and Kristin headed back to the den to work on her study.

A little after nine o'clock Nathan was once again bent over the papers on the dining room table as he tried to find a reference he wanted to use when the vid-phone chimed. He leaned back to hit the connect button. "I've got it," he called to Kristin and then looked up at smiling face of Tim O'Neil on the screen.

"Good evening, sir. Is Lucas around?"

Nathan stared at the young lieutenant for just a short time before answering. "I thought he was with you," he said hesitantly.

"Ummm, no, sir," O'Neil said nervously.

"He said he was going to the stock car races with the guys."

"He must have meant some other guys, I guess," Tim hedged.

"Yeah, I guess so. I'll let him know that you called."

"Thank you, sir," Tim said closing the connection. Nathan continued to stare at the screen for a little while before he turned a slightly worried face to look out towards the water.

The small anniversary clock that sat on a shelf in the den had just struck eleven when Kristin pushed back from the desk again and stretched her back. She shut down the computer and picked up her glass of iced tea, wandering to the front of the house. A frown covered her face as she saw that the lights in the dining and living rooms were turned off. She walked out to the porch and saw that Nathan was now sitting in one of the white wicker chairs staring out at the water.

Slowly, Kristin slipped down until she sat in his lap. She noted that he absently wound his arm around her waist but still kept staring at the night. "Finished your work?"

"Not exactly," Nathan said in a preoccupied voice.

"Uh huh… Coming to bed sometime?" she asked quietly, snuggling her head down in the space between his head and shoulder.

"No," Nathan sighed, "I'm going to wait up for Lucas."

"Why?" Kristin asked surprised. "Isn't he out with the guys?"

"Yeah, but I don't know which guys."

Kristin pulled her head back until she was looking at him in the face. "What do you mean 'which guys'?"

"Tim called earlier looking for him." Nathan clicked his teeth irritably. "I guess the guys that he was going out with wasn't him and the Chief."

"So who is he with?"

"I have no idea," Nathan said frowning. "But I intend to find out."

Kristin wrapped her arms around his shoulders and lowered her head against his neck again. "Do you want me to stay up with you?" she asked softly.

"No, thanks. I'd rather talk to him alone."

Usually, when she sat in his lap Kristin could feel Nathan relax but not this time. She could feel his tenseness in his shoulders and seethe firm set of his jaw. Somehow she didn't really want to be around when Lucas arrived home. She brought her head up and kissed him on the cheek. "Alright then. Let me know if you need anything. Good night, dear."

"'nite, babe," he said absently as she stood and went back into the house. Nathan was left sitting on the unlit porch, staring out towards the water and gradually working himself into a mood that matched the darkness of the night.

The glass of iced tea that sat on the table next to him had long since been emptied when Nathan heard Lucas making his way slowly up the stairs to the porch. He heard the boy lock the door and then watched as he walked uncertainly across the darkened porch, stumbling once into a table halfway to the French doors.

"Hello," Nathan said in the darkness. Apparently, Lucas hadn't noticed him sitting there and when Nathan spoke Lucas staggered back onto the loveseat across from the chair that Bridger was in.

"Jesus Christ, Cap," Lucas mumbled. "You scared the hell out of me."

Nathan watched the boy who was spread across the love seat where he'd fallen. A distinct smell had accompanied the him as he walked across the porch. "Are you sober?" Nathan asked in a neutral voice.

"Yeah," Lucas answered hastily. "I think," he slurred.

"Uh huh," Nathan said slowly standing and walking over to the loveseat. He put his hand out towards the boy and watched concerned as Lucas drew back as if he expected to be struck. "I don't think so… Why don't you let me help you get to bed," Nathan said in a quiet voice.

"Oh," Lucas said with a bleary frown. "I guess I could use some help." Nathan leaned forward and grasped Lucas' arm helping him to stand up from the loveseat. Lucas wobbled uncertainly against him as Nathan steadied the boy.

"Come on," Nathan said shaking his head. "Take it slow." He put his arm around Lucas' shoulder and helped him across the living room and to his bedroom. When he let go of Lucas' shoulder the boy fell back onto the bed and stared at the ceiling while Nathan turned on the light.

"Are you gonna yell at me?" Lucas asked sadly.

"Nope."

A confused frown covered Lucas' face while he watched the ceiling fan go around and around. "Why not?"

"Because you'll never remember it in the morning," Nathan said leaning down and taking Lucas' shoes and socks off.

"You are veerrrry wise," Lucas said blearily.

"Sometimes," Nathan muttered slipping the boy's pants off his legs. He stood and looked at Lucas who blinked a couple times in an unfocused manner.

"Are you mad at me?" he asked in an innocent voice.

"Yup."

"Oh," Lucas said sadly. "I'm sorry…."

"We'll talk about it in the morning," Nathan said tightly while moving Lucas' legs up onto the bed. "Go to sleep, Lucas."

"Cap'n???" the boy said quietly.

"Hmmm??"

"I don't feel so good."

Nathan sighed and shook his head. "Why did I see that coming??" He leaned over and pulled off the covers that he'd just put over Lucas and helped the boy stand again.

"Where're we goin?" Lucas asked as he leaned heavily on Nathan.

"To the bathroom," Nathan said leading the boy into the room.

"For what?"

"So you can worship the porcelain god," Nathan muttered.

Lucas looked at him questioningly and then a surprised look came to his face as he swallowed heavily a couple of times before he allowed Nathan to push him down towards the toilet and he quickly emptied his stomach into the bowl. Nathan kneeled next to him and soothingly rubbed his back while Lucas threw up. After a few minutes, he heard the door across the hallway open and Kristin stuck her head around the door.

"Nathan, is everything alright?"

"Oh, yeah," he said in a discouraged voice. "He's just getting a little sick."

"He's getting a lot sick," Kristin said coming into the bathroom and sitting on the edge of the bathtub. She sniffed the air a couple of times. "Has he been drinking?" she asked in a shocked voice.

"Oh, yeah," Nathan repeated.

"With whom?"

Nathan looked up at her while still rubbing Lucas' back. "I don't know… yet."

"Anything you'd like me to do?"

"No, thanks. I think I can handle this part." Nathan grinned humorlessly, "I've got a little experience."

"Alright," Kristin said standing and watching Lucas heave once more. After a look at him she decided that there really wasn't anything she could do. "You know where I am," she said slipping out of the bathroom.

Nathan kneeled next to Lucas for another ten minutes while the boy continued to get sick until finally he was just leaning over the toilet panting heavily. "How are you doing?" Nathan asked gently.

"Oh God, I feel awful," Lucas said sadly.

"Yeah," Nathan said as he reached behind him to grab a towel off the towel bar. He dampened the towel and helped Lucas clean up before assisting him back to his feet and leading him into the bedroom. After a quick assessment of his condition, Nathan pulled the boy's shirt off and helped him lie on his side on the bed. Then he put pillows behind Lucas' back and covered him up again. He moved the wastebasket close to the bed and leaned over to smooth the hair out of Lucas' face.

"Lucas," he said softly.

"Hmm?" the boy answered not opening his eyes.

"There's a wastebasket next to the bed right in front of you if you need to use it, alright?"

"Umm hmm."

"And I'll be in my room if you need me."

"Oookaaaay," Lucas said softly.

Nathan stood and sighed as he watched the boy slip off to sleep and then turned off the light as he went out of the room.

Kristin saw the bedroom door open but Nathan didn't turn on the light. Instead he walked in and then stood silently. Kristin turned on the bedside light and saw him standing tensely with his back to her in front of the closet. She jumped as he suddenly struck out with his fist and smashed it through the closet door.

"Nathan?" she asked cautiously.

"What?" Nathan answered shortly.

"Are you alright?"

"No, I'm an idiot."

Kristin sat up in the bed and stared at his back. "I don't follow you."

Nathan turned his head towards her and shook his hand painfully. "Sometimes I wonder why you put up with me."

"I still don't understand," Kristin said with a concerned frown.

Nathan moved over until he was sitting on the edge of the bed. "You told me but I wouldn't listen. I didn't want to believe that he could pick up some of my bad habits."

"You couldn't know that he'd do this, Nathan," she said comfortingly putting her hand up on his shoulder.

Nathan looked down at the scrapes on the back of his hand and grimaced. "Do you know what he said to me while I was helping him in from the porch?"

"No."

He looked back at her with a deep frown. "He asked if we should bounce off a door or two like I always do."

Kristin sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. "Come to bed, Nathan. You're going to have to deal with this in the morning and you better get some sleep."

"Yeah," Nathan said standing and slowly unbuttoning his shirt.

Kristin watched as he stripped off his clothes. The disappointment that he felt was evident from the drooping of his shoulders and his occasional sigh. "Is he going to be alright tonight?"

"Yeah, he was sleeping when I left his room."

"What if he wakes up and gets sick?"

Nathan looked back at her with a little smile. "Oh, I've done this routine before. He's lying on his side with pillows behind him so he won't roll onto his back and there's a wastebasket at the edge of the bed for him. He'll be alright," he sighed and shook his head. "At least until I get my hands on him tomorrow morning. Then all bets are off." He slipped between the covers and Kristin leaned back to turn off the light. She snuggled into his side and wrapped her arm comfortingly across his waist.

"Is your hand alright?" she asked softly.

"Yeah," Nathan said tiredly, "it's alright." He pulled her close and buried his head against her neck. Kristin felt him shake his head again before she slipped into sleep. Nathan wasn't so lucky. He lay on the bed pulled close to her for a long time before he also finally fell into a troubled sleep.

Kristin sat with Nathan the next morning as they both ate their breakfasts at the counter between the dining room and the kitchen. For the entire meal Nathan had stared at his bowl without saying a word. When he stood up and went over to the sink to wash his dirty dishes Kristin couldn't take it any more.

"Are you going to let him sleep in late?"

Nathan wiped the bowl off and put it back into the cabinet. "Nope. I just wanted to get my breakfast first. Now it's his turn to wake up," he said walking determinedly from the kitchen towards Lucas' room.

"I think I'm going to adjourn to the den," Kristin said tactfully.

Nathan looked back at her. "Probably a good idea. I don't think this is going to be a pretty sight."

He stood in front of the door to Lucas' room a short time and took a deep breath before looking through the partially closed door. He could see Lucas still lying on his side sleeping soundly. Nathan pushed the door open all the way and went into the room. He walked over to the windows and pulled up the shades letting the bright morning light into the room. A soft groan sounded from the bed and Nathan moved back around to the other side of the bed.

"Lucas," he said loudly. The boy screwed up his eyes and groaned again. "Lucas!" Nathan said even louder, "Wake up!"

Lucas blinked his eyes several times, a pained look covering his face. "Ohhh," he mumbled. "I don't feel good."

"Too bad," Nathan said sharply. The boy looked up at the older man in surprise. "I expect that you'll be out in the dining room within the next twenty minutes. Cleaned up and dressed. Get moving."

Lucas had heard that tone of voice before but it had never been directed at him. As Bridger turned to leave the room the boy cautiously sat up and swung his legs over the side of the bed and then watched worriedly as Nathan closed the door firmly.

Fifteen minutes later, fresh from a shower, Lucas warily walked into the dining room. The Captain was standing in the kitchen pouring himself a cup of coffee. He looked back at the boy who stood timidly in the kitchen door. "Sit down," he said tersely.

Lucas moved over and pulled himself up onto a seat at the counter. "Do you want some breakfast?" Nathan asked quietly.

The boy looked uncomfortable. "I don't know that I should eat anything," he said hesitantly. "My stomach is kind of a mess."

"Uh huh," Nathan said with a frown and turned back towards the kitchen counter. "I'll make you some toast. You need to eat something or you won't be able to take anything for your headache." He looked back over towards Lucas noting the painful squint in his eyes. "You do have a headache, right?"

"Oh God, yes," Lucas breathed.

"Then you need to eat some toast. Kristin has some medicine that will help your head but you can't take it on an empty stomach." He turned with a plate of four pieces of toast and set it down in front of the boy. Then he reached into the refrigerator and brought out a jar of grape jelly. "One plate of toast with arsenic," he said humorlessly.

"Thanks," Lucas said guardedly nibbling on the corner of a piece of toast.

Nathan took a sip from his coffee cup before leaning against the counter. "So who were you out with?" he asked evenly.

"The guys," Lucas answered quietly.

"'The guys' usually means O'Neil and Ortiz but I know you weren't out with them since the lieutenant called looking for you yesterday evening and I'm sure that you wouldn't want to blame them for something they weren't responsible for." He paused for just a moment to let that sink in and then continued in a firm voice. "Who were you out with last night?" he asked again.

Lucas looked up at him warily and swallowed heavily. "I don't know if I should say."

He winced a little as he saw the ominous look that crossed Bridger's face. "You don't have a choice," Nathan said emphatically.

The boy frowned at his toast as he considered this statement and then glanced quickly up at Nathan. "Border and Carmondy," he said in a small voice.

"Uh huh," Nathan said turning away. Somehow Lucas found his almost calm reaction rather unsettling.

"I… I'm sorry, sir," Lucas stuttered. "It just kind of happened."

Nathan stopped and looked out of the kitchen window for a moment before turning back towards the boy. "We seem to having a responsibility problem here, don't we?"

"Sir?"

"You. You've got a problem with responsibility."

"I do??"

Nathan leaned back against the counter and crossed his arms over his chest. "Correct me if I'm wrong. This isn't the first time that you've been out drinking." He watched as Lucas looked uncomfortable and stared at the countertop. "Then there's your little problem with driving. You can't drive by yourself because you lost your driver's license."

"But that was because of an accident," Lucas protested.

"An accident caused by you going too fast when you borrowed my car under false pretenses and slammed it into a tree and a pole," Nathan said firmly.

"Um, yeah," Lucas said softly.

"And then there's your continuing difficulty with keeping curfew."

"I was home on time last night," Lucas said hastily. He looked over at the fiery look in Bridger's eyes and sat back in his chair. "Umm, sir," he said uncertainly. Lucas looked down at the countertop again and Nathan could see that he was blinking rapidly like he was trying to keep from crying. "I guess you're pretty angry with me," the boy said softly.

"No," Nathan said and Lucas looked up at him sharply. "I'm angry with myself." He paused a moment. "I'm furious with you."

Lucas swallowed heavily and bit down on his lower lip. "I'm sorry," he whispered. He continued to stare at the counter for a moment before raising his head to watch Bridger turn to the sink to rinse out his coffee mug. "Why are you angry with yourself?" he asked softly.

Nathan kept his back to the boy while he dried out his cup and then turned towards him. "Because I've been so concerned over the last year about what kind of atmosphere you were living in and what kind of example Kristin and I were being to you and I missed the example I was setting with my drinking."

"It wasn't your fault, sir," Lucas said hesitantly.

"I didn't help," Nathan said firmly. He saw Lucas relax a little. "But no, it wasn't my fault," he said tightly as he watched Lucas stiffen up again.

"Are you going to send me back to my Dad?" Lucas asked almost inaudibly.

"No," Nathan answered quickly. Lucas looked hopefully up at him and Nathan continued, "but you may wish that I had."

The worried look came back to Lucas' face. "What happens now?"

"For right now," Nathan said looking out at the dock. "We need to reseal the dock but before we do that it has to be scrubbed down." He put two aspirin in front of the boy along with a glass of milk. "I suggest you down this aspirin before you start working. If they don't work Kristin can give you something stronger."

Lucas swallowed the aspirin and then looked out at the dock. "The entire thing?"

"Yup."

"All by myself???"

"Unless you want to call Border and Carmondy to help you," Nathan answered pointedly.

Lucas glanced quickly back at him. "Um. No, I'll do it myself."

Nathan just nodded as the boy headed out the door. A half-hour later Kristin wandered out from the den, surprised that she hadn't heard any shouting from the front of the house. She found Nathan staring out the window at Lucas who was kneeling on the dock, furiously scrubbing it with a brush.

"What happened?" she asked coming up behind him.

"I sent him out to scrub the dock," Nathan said quietly.

"I didn't hear any yelling," she said rubbing her hand over his tense shoulder.

"There wasn't any," Nathan sighed. "I just sent him outside before I killed him."

Kristin came around to the front of him and slipped her arms around his waist. He continued to look outside over her shoulder and absently pulled her close. "Did you find out who he was out with?"

"Border and Carmondy," Nathan said in an ominous voice.

"Oh, dear," Kristin mumbled. "I have a feeling that there are going to be fireworks at the building site tomorrow." Both Border and Carmondy worked for one of the contractors who was building the new seaQuest.

"Oh, yeah," Nathan said still staring outside.

Kristin looked back over her shoulder. "He's only a teenager, Nathan. He's bound to do things like this."

"He's not quite your normal teenager."

"No, but he's still a teenager," Kristin said soothingly. "Do you remember all the dumb things you did as a teenager? He's probably going to do them sometime too."

Nathan pulled back and looked at her with a frown. "Oh, God, I hope not," he said fervently.

"Are you going to make him clean the entire dock by himself?"

Nathan sighed. "No, I'm going to help him." He nodded his head towards the door where a green bucket with soapy water stood. "I've already got a bucket ready but I wanted him to think that he was going to have to do it all himself." Nathan paused a little and shook his head. "And I needed to calm down again."

Kristin pulled back to look at him. "Are you calm now?" she asked feeling the firm tenseness of his back muscles.

"Yeah."

"You don't feel calm."

This time there was a little gleam in Nathan's eyes as he smiled a little. "I'm about as calm as I'm going to get." He kissed her on the forehead before pulling back out of her embrace and picking up the bucket.

Nathan wasn't wearing shoes so Lucas never heard him come up from behind as he pushed the brush across the wood with an angry motion. Nathan stood a while and listened to the boy talk to himself.

"Treats me just like a kid," Lucas muttered angrily. "You missed curfew, Lucas… you can't drive, Lucas… you screwed up again, Lucas," he said as he turned to throw the brush back into the bucket. The boy stopped suddenly as he caught sight of Nathan's feet on the dock behind him. His gaze slowly went up from his feet to his face. Lucas saw the impassive look that Bridger had plastered across his face and sighed. He shook his head as he silently looked back down at the bucket and took the brush out and started scrubbing again.

"Move over," Nathan said in a disturbingly calm voice as he put his bucket down on the other side of the dock from where Lucas had his. He dropped a green object in front of Lucas. "That might help," he said as Lucas moved a little to one side of the dock.

"What is it?" the boy asked quietly.

"A piece of foam for kneeling on. It's a lot easier on the knees than kneeling on the dock," Nathan said dropping a blue foam piece down onto the dock and kneeling on it as he pulled another brush from the bucket he'd carried down.

"I thought that you were going to make me do this all by myself," Lucas said in a subdued voice.

"Nah," Nathan said sloshing some water onto the wood. "I just needed a little time to calm down."

"You seemed awfully calm to me."

"It's a front."

Lucas looked over at him. "It is, isn't it? The calmer you act, the angrier you are."

Nathan glanced over at him. "Yeah. It's kind of one of my faults, I guess."

"Are you angry now?"

"Yeah… at both of us."

"Oh," Lucas said in a little voice. "I really am sorry."

"I know," Nathan said in a resigned tone. "How's your head?"

Lucas shrugged. "It's getting better, I guess."

They both stopped talking as they saw Kristin coming down onto the dock with an insulated jug in her hands. "It's a bit of a warm day and I thought you two could use something to drink."

"Yeah," Lucas said gratefully. "What is it?"

Kristin fixed him with a disapproving glance. "For you, it's iced tea laced with cyanide."

"Perfect," the boy said with a little smile. He sat down on the dockhand leaned against a piling as he took the glass that she gave to him. Nathan sat opposite Lucas and also took a glass that Kristin offered.

"I think I'm going to go back up to the house and let you guys get on with your work," Kristin said turning to go.

"Thanks, Doc," Lucas said, his eyes following her as she walked off the dock.

"Thanks, Babe," Nathan said looking over at Lucas. He kept watching the boy until Lucas shifted his gaze back into the dock. He still steadfastly avoided making eye contact with Bridger until he just couldn't avoid it any more. Finally Lucas had to look at Bridger if only to satisfy his curiosity about why the man was so quiet.

Lucas bit his lower lip again. "Does the fact that you're quiet now mean that you're really angry?"

"No. Believe it or not I've calmed down considerably since last night… hell, I've calmed down since this morning… …but not much."

"Um," Lucas said nervously. "Your bedroom door was open when I went by it earlier…."

"Yeah?"

"What happened to your closet door?"

Nathan sighed and frowned a little. "I punched it out last night."

"Oh," Lucas said in a little voice. "Did you punch it out instead of me?"

"No. Last night I was more worried about you than angry. I was angrier at myself." He saw Lucas sigh and nod his head a little. "However, this morning I'm angrier at you than I am at myself."

"Oh," Lucas repeated nervously. "I guess for a smart kid, I'm really stupid sometimes."

"Yes, you are," Nathan agreed and then closed his eyes and shook his head. "Do you have any idea just how upset I am with you right now?"

"I think so," Lucas choked out. He took a ragged breath. "So how come I'm still here?" He looked up at Nathan, "Or at least not being slapped around for being so stupid?"

Nathan fixed him with a disapproving glance. "I don't work that way," he said shortly and then leaned his head back against the piling he was sitting in front of. "You think that I should send you back to your Dad?"

"Yeah," Lucas said almost inaudibly.

"I'm going to be blunt here, Lucas," Nathan said looking out at the water past Lucas' shoulder. "I like your Dad. He's a nice guy, he cares a lot about you and he's one hell of a scientist…. but as a father he sucks." He brought his eyes in to stare at Lucas who had a shocked look on his face. "When you were a kid he dumped you on your mom, who is a bitch by anyone's reckoning. Then when he found out about how your mom was beating on you he dumped you on his friends who watched over you while you went to college. Then when you got out of college he dumped you on the seaQuest and he was more than happy to have me offer to take care of you while he works on the latest revision of the World Power Plant. Essentially, you got dumped again."

Nathan sighed heavily and looked out at the water again. "Lucas, you've got a unique opportunity. It isn't many kids who get a chance at two sets of parents. The reason I asked your father to let me be your guardian is that even back then I felt responsible for you. I felt like a parent to you… and that feeling is even stronger now that we've been together for the last eight months. And now it's not only me… I know that Kristin feels the same way."

"We're trying to let you find your way… trying to let you be the teenager that you need to be at the same time allowing you the opportunity to be the scientist that you are…." He started tapping his hand testily against the wood of the dock and his voice became more insistent. "But sometimes I just don't understand why you do the things you do… and I'll be honest, right now, you've got me worried."

"Why worried?" Lucas asked with a concerned frown.

"Because every time we seem to get things going well… your job is going fine, the home life is good, we're getting along, we go out on the boat and enjoy ourselves, see a ball game or two along the way and generally there's nothing to really complain about you do something to screw it up." He watched as Lucas hugged his knees against his chest and stared at the deck. "It's almost like you're intentionally screwing up, Lucas."

"Why would I screw up intentionally?" Lucas asked in a hollow voice.

"You tell me….." Nathan said softly. "Almost sounds to me like self-destructive behavior." He could see Lucas tense up as soon as the words left his mouth. The look that suddenly covered the boy's face was an irritated one, just shy of being one of anger.

"Do you think I'm self-destructive?" the boy shot back quickly.

"I don't know, Lucas, I'm not an expert on those things but I suppose it's a possibility," Nathan answered calmly rather surprised at the vehement response.

"You're a hell of a person to talk about self-destructive behavior, Cap," the boy spouted out.

"Why?" Nathan asked confused.

"Well, your behavior is pretty damned self-destructive too, don't you think?"

"How do you figure that?" the older man asked a touch of anger beginning to cause an edge in his voice.

Lucas' voice was sarcastic and biting. "What do you want? You want me to spell it out? How about your drinking or maybe it's the driving, oh, or maybe it could be the way that you work yourself to exhaustion."

"You're out of line," Nathan said firmly.

"You're wrong," the boy stated even more firmly standing up quickly. "I gotta go to the head," he said as he turned and walked down the dock and into the house. Nathan watched him go with a confused and concerned look on his face and then as the boy entered the house he sighed heavily and slowly shook his head.

Lucas still had a frown on his face as he walked through the living room. Kristin came out of the kitchen wiping her hands on a towel. "How's your head?" she asked softly.

"It still hurts," Lucas said in a preoccupied voice staring out the window towards the dock.

"Umm hmm. Why don't you stay here a moment and I'll get you something else to help out." She saw Lucas nod absently as she went back to the bedroom to get her medical case. When she came back he was still standing there staring out at the dock with an irritated look on his face. She walked behind him and got a glass of water from the kitchen. "Here," she said handing him the two small white pills, "this should help."

Lucas looked over at her momentarily as he took the pills and the glass of water and then looked back out at the dock. "Thanks." He downed the pills and then finished off the rest of the water before turning back to her. Now his face had switched in to a frown. "Doc, can I ask you something?" he asked nervously.

"Certainly," she said taking the glass from his hand.

"Do you think that my behavior is self-destructive?"

"Is that what Nathan said?"

Lucas nodded silently.

Kristin reached out and pushed a stray lock of hair from Lucas' forehead. "Honestly… yes, that's possible." She saw an even heavier frown cover his face. "But I don't think you do it intentionally."

"Yeah, why would I want to do something like that?" Lucas asked defensively.

"Oh, I don't know," Kristin said with a sigh as she put the glass down on the dining room table. "I suppose that there are any number of reasons that might make sense to your subconscious."

"Like what?"

"Lucas, I'm not a psychologist. I'm not going to try to analyze your behavior. I'd probably do more damage than good, I'm afraid." She saw the irritated look that crossed his face.

"What if I said that I think you're both wrong," he asked stridently.

"We could be," Kristin answered calmly. His angry response surprised her. "Could I point out one thing to you though?" she asked tenderly.

"What?" he asked cautiously.

"First, I know that this isn't the first time that this drinking thing has happened."

Lucas looked down at the floor and nodded.

"Alright, then can I just mention to you that you won't be the only
one you take down?" He looked up at her with a confused face. "You'll be taking Nathan down with you too."

"I'm not sure what you mean," Lucas said quietly.

"If you succeed in any way. Either managing to badly hurt or kill yourself or end up in some situation where Nathan just has to pull the plug and let you go, you'll take him with you. He cares too much about you, Lucas." She looked him straight in the eyes. "He's not your father but he feels like he is."

"He's more like my father than my father is," Lucas breathed quietly.

"I suppose he is," Kristin said rubbing the boy's shoulder. "Despite all the time he spends working on the seaQuest he certainly has spent more time with you than your father has."

Lucas frowned at her and looked back out to the dock. "Hell, in the last year he's spent more time with me than my father did in the first 16 years of my life." He frowned even more when he realized that the Captain was no longer sitting out there.

"He worries about you a lot," Kristin said gently. She turned her head as she heard Nathan walking across the porch.

"Excuse me," Lucas said hastily heading back towards the bathroom.

Nathan watched his back disappear down the hallway as he walked through the doors. Then he glanced over at Kristin and smiled wanly. "We are not having a good day," he said in a discouraged voice.

"Yes," Kristin said moving in front of him again and wrapping her arms around his waist. "He told me about your theory about him being self-destructive."

"It's not so much a theory as just a wayward thought," Nathan said slipping his arms around her waist and lowering down his head so it leaned against her shoulder. "Did he tell you that he's decided that I'm self-destructive too?"

"Are you?" she asked calmly.

Slowly he raised his head and looked at her. "Am I?" he asked quietly.

"You tell me," she said in a neutral tone.

Nathan leaned back against the top of the sofa. "I never considered it," he said with a frown. "I suppose I might be."

The sound of the toilet flushing was followed shortly afterwards by Lucas slowly walking down the hallway. Nathan and Kristin slipped apart and looked at him. He didn't meet their eyes until he was all the way in the living room and then the look on his face was not quite angry but an upset one.

"I was just on my way back out," he said with a glare.

"Oh, that's alright," Nathan said absently. "We've got all afternoon." He walked over until he was standing in front of Lucas and stopped. "So maybe you're right," he said in a low, slightly confused voice.

"Right how?" Lucas asked hesitantly.

Nathan shrugged a little. "So maybe we both have the same problem." He shook his head a little, "I never really considered it before."

He was surprised to see a small smile cross Lucas' face. "You know, I wanted to be like you but not quite this way," the youth grinned softly.

Nathan chuckled a little. "I guess I can be a bad example as well as a good."

The boy looked at him suddenly serious. "You know, you're the first adult I've known who was willing to admit that."

"Tell you what," Nathan said and then hesitated. "I'll stop drinking if you do."

Lucas was silent for a while, a surprised look on his face. Finally he answered. "You're kidding."

Nathan shook his head again. "Nope, I think that maybe neither one of us is too good with handling our alcohol."

"Yeah, but you've been drinking for a lot longer than I have," Lucas objected.

A regretful smile crossed Nathan's face. "You'd think I'd be better at it by now, wouldn't you?"

"Are you serious?" Lucas asked in a disbelieving voice.

Nathan nodded resolutely. "Yeah, I'm serious."

Lucas also nodded slowly and then held out his hand. "Deal."

"Deal," Nathan said taking the boy's hand and shaking it with a grin. He held onto Lucas' hand while putting the other hand on his shoulder. "But you damned well better tell me who you're out with next time," he said firmly.

"I will, sir," Lucas smiled back. "I promise."

Nathan smiled back and pulled Lucas into a hug.