It had been about four months since they had arrived at NCQ, two months since they had started working on the new boat and Lucas was more than happy. For once in his life an adult had put him before himself. The captain spent most of his free time with Lucas doing whatever the two could come up with. Most of the time was spent sailing, swimming or just lounging on the dock. But there were times when Lucas knew the captain wasn't happy.

It would happen about once or twice a week, at least in the beginning. The captain would just stare off into the sea looking but not seeing. A wistful, almost sad expression would flow over his face and he would sit like that until Lucas or something would bring him back to reality. These days the look would come at least once a day. It may last a few seconds or half an hour but it would always come.

Lucas knew the captain tried to hide it from him. He'd catch himself doing it and he'd take a deep breath as if to clear the mood that had settled in his chest. As soon as the breath was expelled the smile would return to his face. Sometimes it would reach his eyes but other times Lucas knew his heart wasn't in it.

At first, Lucas had been overjoyed at the decision the captain had made. He chose to put Lucas above everything and everyone else no matter what it cost him. And she understood and agreed with him. Lucas was to become the priority. And this is the way he had wanted it. For once in his life he was important, his needs, his wants came first. He felt loved, really loved as a son.

But it came with a price. The three of them would usually go to dinner once a week usually on Fridays. It helped the captain to unwind from the stress that would build during the week as he dealt with the myriad of problems with the new boat. They were good friends but Lucas could see when they parted it was as if the captain's heart had left with her.

Lucas would watch the captain as she drove up to the house and walked up to greet them. The older man would relax instantly. Lucas could see the tension drain out of the captain as he saw her. The smile she wore only for him could turn any sour mood the captain was in.

Dinner would fly by, as the three would discuss their week. The two men would regale her with stories of what was going on with the boat making her smile and laugh. And she would tell them of her work at the hospital and research institute her eyes lighting up as she spoke. And Lucas would watch the captain as he reveled in her smile. But as the evening wound down the captain would become quiet and just look at her. She would always smile at him and he would instantly light up but he knew she was going to leave. Lucas would watch as the cap would walk her to her car not touching her but he could tell the cap wanted to. They would say goodnight and she would get in her car and drive away. The cap would watch her drive away. He would stand in the drive for several moments with his head hung low and then turn back to the house.

Sometimes the cap would take a drink out onto the porch and sit for hours just staring out to the sea. Or he would take a long walk on the beach. At first Lucas had thought it was just his way of unwinding but once due to their schedules she had come to dinner on a Wednesday instead of Friday. The same melancholy mood settled over the captain and that night he had spent his time sitting on the beach for more than three hours. Lucas had worried about him then, he looked so sad and lost as he sat on the sand.

Lucas knew he never got to see her except at these weekly dinners. He wasn't sure why and had asked the captain once. The older man had quickly covered the sadness in his eyes with a shrug of the shoulders and told the young man that their schedules didn't permit them to meet too often.

At first Lucas had been pleased that he came first where the captain was concerned but as the past two weeks had come and gone he had begun to feel guilty. He knew the decision of the captain was because of him and no other. The captain had finally overcome the death of his wife but his promise to Lucas was keeping him from love and happiness with another woman.

Tonight though Lucas was hoping to fix it. He wanted the captain to be happy and if being with her made him happy then Lucas had to find a way to deal with the repercussions. In his heart Lucas knew that she loved him like a son and would do anything for him.

He watched from his window as she pulled up and the captain walk down the stairs to greet her. Lucas couldn't stand to watch as the two stood so close but not touching even though Lucas could tell they wanted to. He pulled himself from his window and walked out to the front porch just as Ben Krieg drove up to the house.

"Lieutenant, what can I do for you?" asked Nathan as Ben got out of  his car.

"I'm here to pick up Lucas sir. You ready Lucas?" asked Ben as Lucas came out the door.

"Yeah." Lucas rushed down the stairs saying hurried `hi's and `good-bye's to the cap and doc as he explained how he was going to dinner with Ben and Miguel and then go to a movie. He explained that he wouldn't be home until late. "I know you were coming to dinner doc but this is the only night the drive-in is playing `Martian Mutants from Hell' you understand right?"

`Perfect' Lucas thought as he saw the two bewildered adults just looking at him. Lucas smiled inwardly as the cap found his wits and told Lucas his plans were fine and the doc could only nod her head. Lucas climbed into Ben's car and the two drove off. "Do you think they got the picture?" asked Lucas.

"We'll know if the captain has a smile that just won't leave his lips tomorrow." Said Ben with a laugh.

It was 12:45 when Lucas came bounding up the stairs. His evening out had been great but it always was when Ben Krieg was involved. The movie was horrible but fun and dinner, which consisted of pizza and nachos, was great. He noticed the doc's car was still in the drive and wondered if she and the cap had a good night.

The house was dark except for a small lamp that lit the entry way and silence prevailed as Lucas stepped into the house. Lucas saw the Chinese containers on the dining room table and wondered where the cap and the doc were. Probably went for a walk on the beach or were  sitting out on the back porch. Lucas rarely went out onto the back porch except with the cap since Bridger's bedroom also accessed the back porch via a sliding glass door. Lucas always thought he was invading some of the cap's space.

He went out onto the back porch the full moon illuminating his way but found no one there. He walked past the cap's door to the side railing to see the ocean but didn't see anyone on the beach. He watched the waves crash on the shore until he heard a noise behind him. The door slid open but to his relief no one came out. Lucas heard the captain.

"How's that?"

"That's nice." That was the doc's voice.

Lucas was shocked. He hadn't expected to come home and find them in the cap's bedroom. Well he knew that could be one possibility but he just didn't think it was possible. He crept along the porch so he could look in but made sure he was hid among the shadows.

The cap was laying in bed propped up on pillows his head leaning against the headboard. The doc was lying with her head on his chest, her arm draped over his waist so their hands entwined. The sheet was down revealing her back and the cap was lazily stroking her shoulders. Even from his perch Lucas could see the soft smile that graced the cap's lips. The man looked so content. He couldn't remember Bridger ever looking so happy, content or relaxed.

"I probably should be going before Lucas gets back." Said the doc somewhat reluctantly Lucas thought. Lucas watched as the smile disappeared from the cap's face to be replaced with a sadness that made Lucas glad that he had done what he did tonight.

"I don't want you to leave." The cap said quietly.

"I know but I don't think we should spring this on Lucas so quickly."

"I know but I still don't want you to leave." Lucas saw the doc lift up to look at the cap.

"When does he get home?" she asked.

The cap brought his hand up to caress her cheek. "Two." He said looking at her face. She leaned in and kissed him lightly on the lips. Lucas smiled as the cap tightened his arm around her waist pulling her tightly against him. The kiss deepened and Lucas wondered if he should be watching but it was like a train wreck, he just couldn't look away.

The cap rolled over so that the doc was beneath him, the two never breaking the kiss. Lucas was somewhat thankful for his vantage point, which seemed to hide parts of the doc Lucas wasn't sure he wanted to see since the sheet was still down around the couple's waists. The captain melded his body against hers as her arms came up to encircle his neck.

Lucas heard her moan softly against the cap's mouth. The cap brought his head back to look at her. Lucas almost gasped at the words the cap spoke to her.

"I love you." His eyes were soft as he spoke to her.

Kristin smiled bringing her hand down to caress his cheek. "And I love you." She said softly.

The captain brought his head down to kiss her passionately. The two lovers began to move and Lucas heard the doc gasp and realized the couple was making love. Lucas panicked for a moment thinking he shouldn't be seeing this. This was something between the two of them but Lucas didn't move as the cap pulled his face above hers and they locked eyes as they moved.

Lucas had seen movies in which the actors on the screen had professed to love one another but none of those people looked as in love as the cap and the doc at that moment. And courtesy of Ben, Lucas had even seen pornography and the images that came to his mind from those movies almost made him sick as he watched the cap and the doc `make love.' He now knew the difference between making love and having sex.

Lucas brought his gaze away from the room his eyes had been transfixed in and slowly crept down the back stairs. As he walked under to house to the front steps he felt extremely guilty for having kept the captain and the doc apart for so long. He wished that he could go and tell the doc to stay.

About forty-five minutes later the captain and the doc walked down the front steps and found Lucas perched on the bottom step.

"Hi Lucas." Said the doc as she and the cap reached the bottom of the stairs.

"Hey doc."

"How was your evening?" asked the cap.

"It was great. The movie was horrible but it was fun."

"How long have you been out here?" asked the cap.

"About ten minutes." Said Lucas truthfully. He had left the house and gone for a walk on the beach before returning.

"Well I better get going." Said the doc as she moved towards her car. "Goodnight, Lucas." She smoothed Lucas' hair and kissed him on the top of his head before taking the cap's hand as he walked her to her car.

Lucas watched as the two as they said talked for a few moments. He smiled as the cap brought his hand around to the back of the doc's head and brought her close to kiss her. The kiss last a few moments and then the doc climbed into her car and drove away.

The cap looked after her until her car couldn't be seen and then turned back to the house. For the first time Lucas could remember the cap wore a smile after she had left. He came and sat down on the step next to Lucas and looked out towards the dunes.

"Thank you." Said Nathan quietly a few moments after he had joined Lucas on the steps.

"I'm sorry." Said Lucas

"What did you and Ben do this time?" asked Nathan jokingly.

Lucas smiled. "No, I mean about the doc." Nathan looked out over the road to the dunes of the beach.

"It was a decision that Kristin and I made after the Seaquest was destroyed."

"But it was because of me." Lucas was silent for a moment. "I want you to be happy too you know. I mean, I love the doc and I love you and I'm sorry I'm scared of sharing you with her but… you need her. I know you do so don't try and say you don't. And I'm sorry I didn't realize it before."

"It's not your fault Lucas."

"Yes it is. If it wasn't for me you two would be together, right?" Nathan just shrugged his shoulders. "I didn't know you were in love with her, if I had known things would have been different."

"How do you know I'm in love with her?"

"I do have eyes and they work pretty well, at least over the past couple weeks anyway."

"Smart ass."

"How long have you been in love with her?"

Nathan thought for a moment. "Since before the Seaquest was destroyed."

"Jesus, that was four months ago! How could you not be together?"

"Kristin and I agreed that you came first. What you needed and what you wanted came first."

"Is that why we only see her once a week?"

"Yes. I couldn't handle seeing her more than that."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"I didn't want you to feel guilty about the decision I had made and she didn't want to feel like she was intruding in on your space."

Lucas stood up shaking his head. "We are having lunch with her tomorrow, right?"

"No." said Nathan dejectedly. "She has to work in the ER tomorrow."

Lucas laid his hand on the captain's shoulder as he headed up the stairs. "If you want me to break your arm tomorrow so you can go see her, just let me know, sir."

Nathan couldn't help but smile. "I'll think about it. Goodnight Lucas."

"Goodnight sir."