I am taking liberties with some of the details in this story. The writers seem to have become confused as to dates and ages, and possibly a number of other things that I missed in my numerous watches. This story is set in the first half of Season 2, possibly in the short time span that most shows go on break between late November/early December and January. I'm going to assume that in the future, boat building is ridiculously fast and that Lucas was 17 at the start of the Season. I'm also assuming that the birth date given to Lucas in Season 3 is accurate and that it is December 23. I'm going to believe that Cynthia Holt was the name given to Lucas' mom in a script that was not produced, and therefore the name I will use in this story. I'm not sure where Lucas grew up, or where his parents live, but I'm using artistic license for that one. Hopefully all these assumptions don't make – well, you know.

#Lucas Wolenczak #Tony Piccolo #Dagwood #Nathan Bridger #Wendy Smith

Chapter 1

It was impossible not to notice the massive feature looming out of the bay. Prior to dawn, one could not miss the gleam of hundreds of lights reflecting off the unseasonal calm water. The likeness to the twinkling lights of a Christmas tree was not lost on anyone who happened to glance out into the water. As the darkness of night turned to the soft yellow light of morning, the calmness of the previous hours gave way to a frenzied bustle of movement. A steady stream of shuttles ran back and forth between the boat and the military dock. As each transport vehicle reached shore, the hatch was opened to reveal a number of excited submariners ready for shore leave. As the day progressed, the dock became more crowded with both military and family members ready to greet loved ones.

The excitement was not limited to shore. Throughout the corridors of the UEO's most prestigious vessel, the sounds of laugher and the clank of hurried feet on metal could not cover the Christmas carols being streamed over the communication system. It would be impossible to deny the enthusiasm of the seaQuest crew for shore leave – one that just happened to fall over the holiday season.

The blond teenager raced through those crowded hallways doing his best to avoid bumping into anyone. As he skidded around the final corner before the spiral staircase, he barely missed slamming directly into someone coming the other direction.

"Woah. What's the rush?"

Lucas grinned at the Sensor Chief. "Sorry Miguel. I've got less than an hour to get packed, and on a launch, otherwise I'm going to miss my flight."

"Well, I hope you have time to take a slight detour."

Lucas looked at him questioningly.

"The captain wants to see you before you leave."

The young computer analyst glanced at his watch before responding. "Bridge?"

"His quarters."

"Thanks Miguel. Gotta run." Lucas gave a half wave at his friend, "Oh, and Merry Christmas!"

He bolted towards the stairs. He had every intention of going to see Captain Bridger before he left – he couldn't imagine not – but he wanted to get his bag packed first. At this point, he could just kick himself. He hadn't planned on waiting until the last minute to get everything done. He'd gone to the Moon Pool to say good-bye to Darwin and got sidetracked when the Vocorder showed an error message. Of course he just had to fix it, despite the fact that Darwin was going to be let out of the boat to hunt off the coast of Florida and most of the crew who would use the device were going to be on shore leave.

Arriving at the quarters he shared with Tony, Lucas swung the hatch open and leaped down the stairs to the floor. He headed straight for his locker, knowing that his duffle bag was hidden somewhere in there, most probably covered with a pile of clothes and books.

"Yes!" Lucas pulled the duffle out of its hiding place and shook it free of dust. It had been a while since he'd had the need to use this particular bag. He glanced and his watch and winced. He didn't have time to put much thought into what he'd need. Lucas began shoving clothing in, only taking as much time as was needed to sniff the article to make sure it was clean enough to wear. He figured he didn't need that much - maybe an extra pair of jeans, a couple of t-shirts to go with his flannel shirt, and a jacket. He could just recycle clothes and wash them as needed when he got there. Lucas paused at his desk. He knew he'd want his computer with him, but there was no way he'd be able to fit much more in his bag. Plus, it wasn't as though he was going to be gone for long. Shore leave for the holidays had been approved for almost the entire crew, with the exception of a few, and Lucas was taking the opportunity to actually get out of Florida for most of it.

His dad had surprised him by suggesting that they actually spend the holidays together up north, and Lucas jumped on the offer. It had been years since the two of them had spent any quality time together. Usually, his dad was too busy. Lucas knew he shouldn't take it personally. Lawrence Wolenczak was busy, and since the devastating failure of his World Power project, he was constantly trying to get funding for a new idea. This didn't lend too much time for father-son bonding. The lack of time spent with his dad had been a hard pill to swallow a few years ago, but now Lucas had found his own place – a sense of belonging – among the crew of seaQuest.

Lucas reached for his palm top and slipped it into the bag. After a brief hesitation, he grabbed his music player, a few discs, and book, shoving them into the remaining space. He'd need something to keep him entertained for the duration of the flight from New Cape Quest to Buffalo, New York. It took a bit of re-arranging, but he finally managed to close the zipper. Lucas took one last look at the room. It wasn't that messy. Mostly, Piccolo's belongings were strewn across his bed, and to some degree, sticking out of his locker. Over the past couple of years, Lucas had learned the value of keeping his things in place, even making his bed – complete with hospital corners – and maintaining the standard expected on a military vessel. It had taken Tony a little longer to comply, but even he was not the slob he'd once been.

Lucas was just about to head up the short stairs to their hatch when it swung open with a thud.

"What's the rush, Luke?" Tony grinned at his roommate.

"Sorry Tony. I've got to go see the captain before I head out." Lucas took another look at his watch. "And at this rate, I'm going to be lucky if I make my ride off this boat."

"You sure you wanna spend the whole week up there in the freezing cold, Luke? I mean, me 'n Dagwood are gonna spend our time off eatin', sleepin,' and checking out the hot babes on the beach."

Laughing, Lucas shook his head. "I'm sure. I kinda want to spend some time with my dad, you know. It's not that often that I get a chance to do that."

"Yeah. I get it. I'm part of the 'broken home family' club too, remember?' Tony gave Lucas a small smile. "Have fun with your dad, doin' whatever it is a boy-genius and a mad scientist do for fun. Just remember, you're welcome to come and stay with us if you get bored. My aunt Rose makes a mean Christmas dinner and ya know my cousin Angie has a major crush on you."

"Thanks Tony. I appreciate it. Merry Christmas." Lucas turned to head up the steps.

"Wait a second, Wolenczak. I got somethin' for you." Tony pulled something small out his back pocket.

"I didn't get you anything." Lucas was somewhat taken back.

"It's not a Christmas present, ya moron. D'you think I forgot?" Tony tossed Lucas a small card. "It's not every day a guy turns 18. Happy Birthday."

Lucas grinned. He didn't think that anyone on the boat had remembered. To be quite honest, he wasn't concerned about it either. He was more excited about the chance to hang out with his dad for six days. "Thanks, Tony." Lucas took a closer look at the small rectangle in his hands, and frowned. "A fake I.D.? I really don't think I'm going to get much of a chance to use this anytime soon."

"Ya never know, Luke. You just never know."

"How'd you get this anyway?" Lucas held it up to get a closer look. To him, it looked pretty authentic.

"I know this guy who knows a guy—"

"Never-mind. I don't want to know." He slipped the fake I.D. into his wallet and shoved that back into his pocket. "I'll see you soon."

"Remember, if you get bored…"

Lucas laughed as the door slammed behind him.

He didn't wait for the MagLev to come to a complete stop before he hopped out of his seat and slung his duffle over a shoulder. Lucas was alone on the inter-sub transportation system, but this didn't come as a surprise. With most of the crew had been granted extended shore leave while the boat remained docked for the holidays, the busiest section of seaQuest was without a doubt Launch Bay. The doors had barely hissed open before Lucas stepped off. The hallway was empty - eerily quiet. He adjusted his bag and headed directly for the captain's quarters.

He'd barely finished knocking before the door swung open.

"I was wondering when you were going to show up," Captain Bridger smiled, opening the door even further.

"You didn't think I was going to leave without saying good-bye, did you?" Lucas shot back at the older man. Bridger just chuckled.

"I wasn't so sure. You are cutting it a little close, aren't you?" the captain raised his eyebrows. Lucas didn't need to answer. Running late was nothing new to him. More often than not, he was distracted by new computer problems that arose, and this generally ate into whatever free time he had available. The captain was well aware of this character trait.

"I know you need to go, so I won't take up too much time. I just wanted to wish you Happy Birthday in person." Captain Bridger threw an arm around Lucas' shoulder, giving it a slight squeeze.

Lucas grinned in surprise. The captain had not let on he knew Lucas' birthday was coming up, and he hadn't expected the Bridger to remember. Although he shouldn't have been surprised. The captain was pretty adept at keeping abreast of most of the officers' birthdays.

"Thanks Captain."

"Other than spending some over-due time with your dad, do you have anything special planned for the big day?"

"Uh, no. Not that I'm aware of." Lucas shrugged. "I figure most of my day will be spent in transit between here and Buffalo, so we'll just have dinner, I guess."

"If you need anything while you're out there, just give me a call. Got it?"

"Yes, sir. Got it." Lucas smiled. He didn't doubt the older man's sincerity. Captain Bridger had filled the role his father had so blatantly neglected, for a few years now. "How about you, Captain? Any special plans for the holidays?"

"Just catching up with some old friends and enjoying some R and R." Bridger glanced at his own wristwatch. "You'd better get moving, kiddo."

Lucas enveloped Captain Bridger in one last short, but heartfelt, hug before leaving. "Thanks Captain. Merry Christmas."

"You too, kiddo. See you in a week."

Lucas gave a quick wave before sprinting back down the corridor. As long as he didn't run into any delays on the way to Launch Bay, or on the transportations shuttle itself, he should have enough time to catch a cab to the airport without being too behind schedule.

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Leaning back against the leather chair, Dr. Wendy Smith closed her eyes and sighed. For the first time in days, she could feel the calmness around her. It didn't take an empath to sense the chaos, anticipation, and overall "loudness" of the crew over the course of the past few days leading up to shore leave. Her heightened sensitivity to the thoughts and emotions of those around her just made that level of excitement that much more difficult to bear. Now, with the majority of the crew safely off the boat, she heard nothing. Well, as close to silence as a person with her abilities could. Even without seeing the list of names of those who would serve as part of the skeleton crew, or knowing who would be disembarking the next morning, Wendy could feel their presence.

Wendy would remain on board for a little while longer, taking advantage of the lull in activity, to finish up a few reports. As the Chief Medical Officer onboard seaQuest, her focus on the mental and physical health of the crew took priority over paperwork, which never seemed to cease. Fortunately, she should be able to complete it all before heading off for her family Christmas in Washington D.C.

While she too was looking forward to a few days of vacation on solid ground, it came at a price; she was expected to spend the first few days celebrating Christmas with her mother and extended family. She loved her mother, but the woman expected as much, or more, from her family, than she did the officers under her. It stilled pained her that as third generation navy, her daughter chose the medical profession over a career in military advancement. Regardless, Wendy knew that her mother was proud of her accomplishments, especially the assignment to seaQuest. What made her dread the trip home had less to do with her mother and more to do with the number of people expected for the holidays. Like most families, Christmas was an opportunity for individuals to come together despite having not seen each other since the previous year. This holiday, Wendy's grandmother was hosting the festivities, which meant she was expected to play the part of dutiful granddaughter, and to greet each and every one of the guests. While this in itself was not something she disliked, in fact she enjoyed catching up with friends and family, it was the sheer magnitude of people in the house at one time that she found overwhelming. Wendy spent a good portion of her time blocking out the emotions of those crewmembers assigned to seaQuest, which could be very exhausting. She would prefer to spend her time off in a quieter environment.

At least she had some time alone before heading to the airport and towards D.C.

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Lucas paced back and forth in the small space just within the external automatic doors at baggage claim. He had been standing in their prearranged pick-up spot for well over half an hour before the cold winter air forced him back inside. He'd tried to stick it out for as long as he could, pulling his jack in closer to his body, but without a hat and gloves, he was ill prepared for winter in upstate New York. His dad was late. Lucas shook his head. He kind of expected the man to be a little late – it would be out of character for him to be on time – but this was pushing it. He was starting to get annoyed and maybe a little worried. Being onboard seaQuest most of his time, he rarely had the opportunity to use one, but right now Lucas wished he had a cellular device of his own. He needed to call home to see if his dad had somehow forgotten that he was arriving today, but he was nervous to leave this spot unless Lawrence finally showed up.

Screw it. Lucas glanced around the large baggage claim area, searching for what he needed. There. Partially obscured by countless transportation booths and large numbers of travelers, he saw a public vidphone station. He took one last look past the glass doors – just in case his dad had pulled up – and turned back to the vidphone terminal. He slipped into the tight space, sliding his bag between his feet, and paused. It had been a while since he'd dialed his dad's home number and it took a moment to for all the digits to come to mind. Fumbling with his wallet, he pulled out his credit card and fed it into the slot before punching in the numbers.

Lucas strummed his fingers against the counter, impatiently waiting for the screen to fill with an image. Nothing. He let it ring a few more times before hitting the 'terminate' key. Frowning, he stared at the blank screen for a moment, contemplating what to do next. He'd try his dad's lab. It was late evening, well past usual business hours, but since when had Lawrence or his staff ever kept normal hours? Lucas rifled through his wallet until he came to his dad's most recent business cards. He fed his credit card back into the payment slot and typed in his dad's work number. Hopefully someone would pick up.

Again, nothing. Lucas wasn't sure what to do next. He glanced at his watch. It was already eight o'clock. He'd told his dad that his flight would land around six. An hour was more than enough time to disembark, collect luggage from baggage claim – if he'd had any – and find their meeting spot. Two hours past arrival time was just ridiculous. He couldn't even blame his dad's tardiness on traffic. Buffalo was not known for its city congestion. Nope. More likely than not, Lawrence Wolenczak was in the office and so engrossed in whatever he was currently working on, that he'd just forgotten that his son was flying in today.

Lucas sighed. This holiday was not getting off to a good start. To make matters worse, any chance of celebrating his birthday – even with dinner out – was looking slim. Lucas slid out of the vidphone terminal and slung his duffle bag over his shoulder. He was done waiting. He strode towards the airport exit and out into the cold air. There weren't as many people milling about as there was when he'd first landed. In fact, there wasn't even a wait for a cab. Lucas took one last look around for his dad before opening the door to the nearest taxi.

"Where to, kid?" The cabbie glanced back at Lucas through the rearview mirror.

"2682 Walden Avenue, please." Lucas tossed his bag onto the backseat and climbed in after it. He'd given the driver his dad's home address. The odds of him being home were slim, but it was probably better to swing by there to be sure before heading to the office.

As the cab pulled out of the airport arrival zone, Lucas wiped the frost off the passenger side window. It had been dark out for a while. The darkness and sub freezing temperature just added to the dreariness he was feeling. Lucas had been excited for this trip and the chance to reconnect with his dad, but now he just hoped that his father's thoughtlessness was not an indication of what was to come.