Title: Ensign Morgan

Author/pseudonym: GhostGal

Copyright: GhostGal 1999/2000

Fandom: seaQuest

Featuring: Lucas Wolenczak Elise Morgan (OFC), Friends only/no sex

Rating: PG15 to R

Archive: Permission to archive for the following: ELFforADULTS@onelist.com elf_fanfic@onelist.com http://www.geocities.com/Area51/cavern/1816 http://internetdump.com/users/daltonavon *All others please ask first.

E-mail address for feedback: morgan_elf@yahoo.com or ensignmorgan@netscape.net

Series/Sequel: On-going series

Other website archived at: http://www.geocities.com/Area51/cavern/1816

Disclaimers: Amblin Entertainment/NBC/SciFi Channel own seaQuest. No money is being made from this. I own Ensign Elise Morgan.

Notes: None of this would have been possible without the encouragement, prodding, and yes threats from the best friend, most honest beta-reader and stringent editor in the world- HollyMurph. :-) Thank you.

*Please note numbering differs between Chance's archive and my parts.

Summary: Lucas and his friend Elise are kidnapped by an evil scientist. They are hurt in mind and body, but escape. Recent parts deal with flashbacks on how they met.

Warnings: AU/torture described/suicide attempts/etc.



ENSIGN MORAN
by Ghostal

Ensign Morgan
by Ghostgal
(Disclaimer: Everything belongs to seaQuest DSV and Amblin Entertainment, Sci-fi Channel, etc. Except the original character of Ensign Elise Morgan who belongs to me.)


Lucas hung from the back wall of the cell. Shackles held his hands above his head. A bright light was focused on him. He glowed with an unearthly pale radiance that would have seemed beautiful, if not for the bruises.

Like a trail of tears, they flowed down his body, marking each touch of violence. At the door, I held my breath as I took this all in. Taking a step into the room and closing the door behind me, his whole body cringed and a weak whimper escaped him.

"Lucas," I whispered, "what have they done to you?"

"To us?" I said as my voice broke.

I reached out to brush his blonde hair out of his eyes and then gently caressed his cheek, wishing I could help him. He raised his eyes to mine and cuddled his face into my hand. I could see the plea in them to end this; but I was just as trapped as he was. I lowered my hand and defeat slumped my shoulders. A moment later they straightened with resolve. If he could go through with this, so could I.

His head snapped to the left as the backhanded slap caught him totally off guard.

"Just tell them what they want to know," I begged. "It will all stop then and you can rest."

A shudder rippled through him as the pain flared, but he would not scream. He had promised never to scream, no matter what.

Forgiveness shone from his eyes and my soul shattered. Even if he forgave me, I knew I would never forgive myself for getting us into this mess.

We both knew that if he didn't tell them what they wanted to know, and soon, I would be right beside him. And then the bruises would seem like a picnic compared to the broken bones they would inflict - or worse.

It had seemed like a good delaying tactic when we had planned it three days ago. Our captors saw how much it tore me up to have Lucas hurt. Anything was now acceptable so long as Lucas didn't die. I was doing my best to keep him from getting a bullet in the brain. I would gladly descend to the lowest levels of hell to keep him alive one more day - one more minute, until help arrived.

We both knew that Bridger would search to the ends of the earth (and throughout time itself if necessary) to find the one person that he considered a son. If not of his body, then of his soul.

After what I have done, though, I will never be able to live with the guilt. But, I had done it all to keep the boy alive.

Yet, the crew would be right behind Bridger demanding my head when they find out. Even if they somehow, God knows how, forgave me as Lucas had, I would have no other choice but to get out of his life before I caused him any more pain.

It had crossed my mind when they had taken us. I'm not brave and once before I had almost completely escaped the mess I had caused. Thankfully, none of that incident was in my file. Sometimes, Lucas amazed me at how well he could make problems disappear if he had a computer in his hands. The posting to the seaQuest had seemed like a new life, a second chance.

One night when everyone was asleep except the skeleton crew, I wandered down to the moon pool to be with Darwin. Lucas had wondered for a long time why I never liked to be left alone, and he had overheard me baring my soul to the dolphin. He had sat down next to me. "You never told me about that, and I thought we weren't going to keep secrets form each other," he said as he held me through the night. I knew he had been abused as a child by his father, and the only reprieve had come with his posting to seaQuest.

Looking at him now, I found myself thinking that even at the darkest of times, I would never hit a child. I had seen just how much damage was done after the fists flew.

When they had started to beat us the first day, I had offered myself totally to them, if they would take me in Lucas's place. When the guards passed this on to their superiors, we had been given a choice - I had to be the interrogator. I had to be the one to ask him to betray seaQuest and Bridger. Lucas and I agreed that between us we could play a game within a game to buy some time for Bridger to come to our rescue.

[3 days ago. . . .]

"Lucas, this might get really bad before Bridger can get here. What if they up the ante and come up with something even more sick to get you to answer their questions?" I asked.

"You just go along with it. There's nothing you could ever do to me that I couldn't forgive," he said, squeezing my hand.

[present . . .]

Oh, how naive we had been three days ago.

The game of Russian Roulette they had us play had thrown me back to the bad times before I met Lucas for the first time.

Coming back to the present, I steeled myself and put the part of me that was breaking down behind the locked door in my head. Lucas still looked at me, but I couldn't meet his eyes now. The decision came easily in a twisted sort of way - me for him. I would get him out of this, no matter what the cost to me and surrender to Bridger. He would make sure I got what was coming to me, and if he didn't, I would arrange it.

The decision made, I hit Lucas again.

The blood dripped from his broken lip as a tear spilled down my cheek.

I had become the monster.

The blood was a bridge to hell, and I had never wanted to cross it again. I thought I had paid my toll to get out of hell years ago.

A knock at the door drew my attention. With a warning glance at Lucas, I turned to see the door open. The guards motioned me to come out and proceed them down the hall. Escape wasn't an option- they were built like the linebackers I had once seen on a documentary of violent sports from the 20th century. Even with all the training I had taken in basic training and from Crocker, I couldn't escape them. We entered a white room with a single chair. The guards took up position on either side of the door.

"Ensign Morgan, please sit down," came a voice from behind the light that shone in my eyes.

*Oh, damn,* I thought, *what now?* as I sat. I had learned the hard way not to challenge anything here.

"You don't seem to be successful in getting the answers we're looking for. Perhaps the guards need to help encourage Mr. Wolenczak to talk?"

"NO!" I cried out. "I'll get the information you want, but he's not responding to force. Could I try a different method? Or is there anything other than the security codes that you want?" I asked, desperation apparent in my voice.

*Please let him say yes,* I prayed.

This had been the second option, Lucas and I had talked about after that first 'session'. If he could somehow get access to a computer, he could alert seaQuest to our location. Not understanding, I had argued that any transmissions would be monitored and blocked.

(Three days ago)

"That's the beauty of it, Morgan," Lucas said, glee in his eyes. "All I have to do is try to hack the security codes and a program I wrote will trace the attempt."

"But, Lucas, those are just the codes they want. If it's that easy to do, why don't you just let them blunder into it and get themselves caught?"

I knew Lucas could get them angry enough to do it, too. He enjoyed it, using someone's anger against them, just the way he had against his father. How else would he have been assigned to seaQuest unless 'Daddy' thought it was the last place on earth Lucas wanted to be?

"Morgan, it's like the firing codes I hacked out of Bridger's personal computer. I have them but unless I try them I would never know that they worked."

A weak smiled came to me, as I remembered him telling me about it one day in the mess hall. Everyone had stared, wondering how he had done it, as I fell off my seat rolling with laughter- I was usually so quiet. Lucas had said, "...Bridger's gonna go 'ballistic' if he ever finds out," with a quirky little grin on his face. I couldn't help myself. Only my Lucas would make such an awful pun about a court marshal offense- a rebel through and through.

(Present)

"What are you suggesting?" came the reply that jerked my attention back. I could hear the interest that had crept into his voice. Crossing my mental fingers, I began, "If I could somehow convince Lucas you had arranged an accident in the engine room that would overload the engines and destroy seaQuest, he would do everything in his power to save them. If that means hacking into the system, he would do it without a second thought."

The line was set, let him take the bait.

"My dear Ensign, do you take me for a fool?"

I felt like a mouse pinned by a cat- crazy enough to try to fight back but knowing that would only delay the inevitable.

"The minute- no second; I let Wolenczak near my computer, that precious UEO of yours would be alerted to come pick him up. I can't have that. This party is just getting interesting," he said, as if he was a disgruntled host who wouldn't stand for his guests leaving early.

"I won't stand for it. You are performing so well now. You're very trainable it just takes a little coaxing. Isn't that right?"

A pause and then he continued, "I've made sure they will never take you back." He must have seen the confusion on my face because he added, "I have an extensive video library of all my guests. Just as magnificent as my antique gun collection"

With that said, I almost fell apart as my heart sank into the pit of my stomach. I knew he had taped my traitorous actions. I shied away from remembering the guns.

"You can track every keystroke and pull the plug if he tries anything," I tried desperately to bargain.

"Unacceptable, I'm afraid," came his cold response. "Guards- escort Ensign Morgan back to Wolenczak's cell, restrain our little Judas and them teach them the price for denying me what I want in anything." As they began to lead me away, he added, "Anything short of death is sanctioned, but with Wolenczak being so 'fragile'; accidents do happen now don't they?" he purred.

*NO!* was my mental wail. This couldn't be happening. He needed Lucas for the computer codes he could provide. Didn't he?

As they walked me back to the cell, I tried to think of a way to get Lucas and I both out of here. I could not leave Lucas behind. I had done that once before and regretted it every day since. Not since the 'Incident' had I felt so lost and out of control.

Dully, I watched as the guards took Lucas down and then put me in the shackles. It had all become so surreal. I really wanted to wake up from this nightmare soon.

With a glance at me from under his bangs, I shook my head slightly. He knew then that I had no luck in getting him access.

I watched him brace for whatever was going to happen next.

*If this ever ends, he'll grow up to be one hell of a man. Who am I kidding; he already is.* I felt all hope slowly die in me. Bridger wouldn't be in time.

The guards placed themselves on either side of him. He looked so small between these two Neanderthals. The one on the left lashed out with a kick to Lucas's knee and I heard a wet sickening pop as it went out. Lucas muffled a scream and tried to breath through the pain.

*Oh Lucas, scream, please; don't keep it bottled up on my account, or because of some stupid pride about measuring up to Bridger's expectations.* I bit the inside of my lip to keep quiet. If he wouldn't, I couldn't.

The guards took hold of his arms as he started to crumple to the floor.

The guard on his right, not content to be left out, let fly with another kick and Lucas's other knee made that same gut wrenching noise. Blood flooded my mouth. The metallic taste was so familiar. It teased at the edges of my control.

*Stop it! Stop it! Make it stop!* I whimpered to myself. At that point, I wanted to do anything that would free Lucas from the pain they were inflicting.

Something came over me then distancing me from this horror. This less emotional part observed their continued abuse, because I couldn't. Dislocated shoulder, bruised kidneys and probably other internal injuries.

Finally, the guards let him fall to the floor, unconscious.

With a halfhearted kick to his ribs, I heard a snapping sound- like toothpicks. The first guard said, "All this is making me hungry and it's no fun when they're not awake."

"I'll meet you in the cafeteria," the second one said. "Don't be too long. It's BBQ ribs today," the first responded, and then chuckled as if he had made a great joke.

The other came up to me. I could make out no expression on his face. "Your friend is going to die. Say good-bye now, before it's too late." We both saw the truth in his statement. "Please, let me down," I pleaded, almost as a last request. He reached up to the shackles and undid them, seeing blood on my wrists where I had pulled in desperation, he met my eyes again. "Go." I said. "Give me some time alone with him." I paused, swallowed and went on,"Please." my throat closed, I couldn't go on. He turned and left closing the door behind him.

Feeling something hit my hand I looked down. Shaking myself out of the cold lethargy that had cocooned me earlier, I put a hand up to me face and brushed away the tears that had fallen while I was unaware.

Crossing over to where he lay and kneeling beside him, I gently gathered his broken body into my arms. We must have looked like some obscene Pieta.

*Yes* whispered a voice, . . a voice I had once known so well.

*Let the boy sleep. We will watch over him and make sure nothing else can harm him.*

*Peace, no pain, no worries* it promised. It was a voice I could trust. It had promised the same things to me after the `incident'.

It's promises were so seductive. Bridger would never have to know of my failure. Lucas wouldn't be in any more pain, by my hand or theirs. Most compelling of all- once he was 'safe', I would be released from my promises to him and be able to rest too.

With a weak smile, my decision made, a wonderful calm fell over me. I had only felt like this once before. The return of its embrace was soothing. I had worked so hard after the last time; rebuilding myself and rising like a phoenix from the wreckage that my life had become. Now it was time to rest.

Softly, I brushed at the tears that had continued to fall down my cheeks and used them to clean his face of the blood. He looked like an innocent lamb. He should never have been exposed to these horrors or had such a monster for a father. I was glad that he hadn't woken up. It would be easier this way.

"I'm sorry I failed you, Lucas." the whisper gently fluttered through the hair above his ear. "Please, forgive me this as well."

I covered his mouth and nose with my hand and started humming. It was the lullaby I had once sung to Lucas when he had come to me after one of his nightmares. He'd asked where I had learned it and what the words were, but I couldn't tell him. The tune just was. It had always been there, older than my memories.

Knowing itself to be in danger, his body started to struggle, looking for the air it so desperately needed. Trying to gasp reflexively.

Slowly the struggles weakened. Lucas grew still, but not dead. Not yet.

*Just a little while longer. It's almost over* whispered the voice.

Suddenly the door flew open. I feared it would be the guards coming back for round two, but it was worse. Oh, so much worse.

Frozen in place, my eyes were telling me it was Commander Ford in the doorway.

*Why now and not an hour ago?* I howled in anguish down the corridors in my mind. Echoes but no answer there. I heard him yell, "Over here Captain!"

He had an assault gun in his hands and blood covered his uniform, but it was the fire in his eyes that held me transfixed. I couldn't move but hoped the earth would open and swallow me up.

Captain Bridger came rushing through the door and took it in with one look. Batting me to the side and away from Lucas's body, he ordered Ford to watch me.

"Get me Westphalen! Now, Dammit!" he shouted to the other member of the rescue team. "What have you done?!" he tossed the questioned at me. Rage seethed in him and if Lucas hadn't needed him more, I know he would have killed me right there.

He started to inventory Lucas's hurts with his eyes, found a faint heartbeat under his fingers, but Lucas wasn't breathing. Cutting off anymore questions, Nathan Bridger started mouth to mouth resuscitation.

Frozen, I watched Bridger put life back into Lucas one breath at a time. After minutes that seemed like hours, Westphalen came running in and knelt beside them

. "Nathan," she said as she put her hand on his shoulder, "Let me take over."

Lucas had started to breathe on his own, so we saw her start triage on his other wounds. This had been a systematic torture. The general bruising on his torso was days old, but very superficial. It looked horrid, but it didn't concern the doctor. I saw her focus on the injuries that were, at most, an hour old.

"Nathan, we need to get him back to the seaQuest as soon as possible. Unless they have an operating theatre here," she relayed in an urgent tone.

"We don't have control of the facility, we have to evacuate," said Ford.

"I'll carry Lucas." With that, Nathan carefully picked him up. "Come on people, it's time to go."

I was in a fog, but Commander Ford pushed me through the door. Before we could move out, Lt. O'Neill came running up out of breath and carrying two video cassettes. He threw me a disgusted look, and said in a low voice only Ford and I could hear, "Their equipment is out of date, but I found these. I scanned them and I can't believe what I saw."

"Later," a harried Ford directed at Tim. "We have to get Lucas to the launch A.S.A.P."

We took off quickly but had to hold the pace down because a misstep could drive one of Lucas's broken ribs into his lung. We rounded a corner and I saw why Lucas and I hadn't been interrupted earlier. On the floor our two guards were sprawled, obviously dead, and covered in even more blood than Ford.

As we hurried to the launch; video cameras were obvious in the hallway, not hidden as the one in the cell had been. They followed our progress dispassionately, as our ragtag group made our way out.

"Good," said a voice. Satisfaction dripped like honey from the statement into the silence of the control room. "Soon you'll come back to me. Everything can go back to the way it should be. Back before those meddlesome U.E.O. officials took you away from me all those years ago."

The owner of the voice inserted a tape into the archaic player and sat back as a children's party replaced the feed coming through the cameras. Young children were running around giggling and having fun. Innocent, so innocent. The maker of the tape slowly panned then tightened on the guest of honor. She looked like a cherub. Porcelain skin, brown eyes, brown hair. She could not be any older then five. As if sensing the camera focused on her, she looked up and smiled a shy little smile.

"Thank you for my party, Doctor."

"Happy Birthday, Elise," echoed from the monitor and the man at the console.

Bridger was extremely careful not to jar Lucas as they made their way to Med. Bay. The trip back on the launch had been tense and silent. Everyone was lost to their own thoughts.

*Lord help him.* Nathan prayed silently. *You've taken Robert and Carol, don't take Lucas too.* He lay the boy gently down on the gurney in Med. Bay. *I need him, and I swear I'll make everyone who hurt him pay.* He turned to Dr. Westphalen, "Save him, Doctor. We need him," a pause, "I need him."

Dr. Westphalen knew how much it had cost Bridger to say these words, but she was already as tightly focused as she could be and still work. If they had another surgical doctor other than Dr. Nguyen on board, she would have turned Lucas over to them. But there was to much damage to repair for just one doctor. She could fully understand why doctors shouldn't operate on their own families. She had taken Lucas into her heart and thought of him as her son. A niggling feeling that she had in fact overlooked something bothered her but it could wait. Lucas must come first. She turned to the people standing helplessly in her Med. Bay.

"It's going to be touch and go. There is a high chance that we are going to lose him if the internal injuries are as bad as I think," she confided to the group.

As she and Dr. Nguyen left to scrub in for surgery, a nurse took Lucas to be prepped and another cleared us out of Med. Bay so they could get to work. Firmly, the door closed on our broken group.

Refocusing his attention now that he had relinquished Lucas to Doctor Westphalen's care, Captain Bridger looked at me and bit out, "The ward room. One hour," and stalked off..

O'Neill nudged Ford, "Now will you look at these tapes?"

"Yes," Ford replied. "Murphy escort Ensign Morgan to the ward room and wait for us there."

O'Neill and Ford left me alone with Murphy. As we set off for the ward room, I heard the voice again.

*You just need some time alone.*

It was right. If Lucas died - I couldn't live. If Lucas lived, I could never live with the guilt. Either way I had lost Lucas. He had been the only reason I had tried after the 'incident' to rebuild and go on. I'd arrange to get the time I needed.

"Murphy, how about I get cleaned up. I could drop by my quarters and meet you there. It will only take me a minute and then I can be debriefed by the 'Old Man'." I knew I could get him to agree. He hadn't seen what Bridger and Ford had.

A part of me was amazed at how I could sound so calm and rational. Especially when the other part that I had locked away in my mind was curled into a ball, and rocking back and forth whimpering over and over, "I killed Lucas."

Commander Ford hadn't told Murphy I was under arrest. So my request seemed reasonable enough, I guess, because he looked at me not really suspicious, and said, "Uh - sure. I don't see why not."

"Don't worry. Everything will be cleared up in about an hour, Murphy." With that, I turned to go to my quarters.

*That will be the first place they look,* the voice protested in my mind.

*Don't worry,* I answered, *I have a good-bye to say first.*



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Knowing my time was short, I quickly made my way to the moon pool. My quarters would be the first place they would check.

After Lucas, the 'person' I was closest to on board seaQuest was Darwin. They would never let me say good-bye to Lucas, but I could see Darwin one last time. Going through the doors, I could see Darwin waiting for me. I activated the vocorder to translate Darwin's worried clicks.

"Morgan sad. Morgan in dark place. Where is Lucas?"

"Lucas has been hurt," was all I could get out. Swallowing against the pain I continued, "Darwin why don't you use the tubes to go check on him in Med. Bay. With that, he was off like a shot. "Good-bye," I whispered to the ripples that he had left in his wake.

I knew the clock was ticking so I forced myself to move. Going over to one of the dive lockers, I pulled out one of the shark knives. It seemed to beckon me to use it immediately, but I knew that I had to go someplace they would never think to look until it was too late. I calculated I had another thirty minutes so I tucked the knife away and made my way to Lucas's quarters.

Please, *Don't let there be anyone in the halls,* I thought. I knew with the way things had been going for the last three days it was a vain wish. I turned the corner and almost collided with Ortiz.

"I was just on my way to the bridge," Miguel said. "How's Lucas?"

"Not good," I replied. What an understatement.

My reply made an expression of worry cross Miguel's face. I desperately hoped he wouldn't ask me any more questions. I think he could see that in my eyes.

"Well," he said reluctantly, "I gotta go. I'm already late for my shift on the bridge," as he continued on.

*Soon* urged the voice, as I hurried off.

*Yes, soon* I promised.

I opened the door and stopped cold in my tracks. The sight of his room almost made me cry. It had been picked up. His computer station had everything tidied and put away. In the middle of a project Lucas tended to lose track and put things down where ever he was. The soda cans and snack wrappers were gone also.

I had jokingly told him all I wanted for my birthday was for him to pick up his room. That had gotten a bag of chips tossed at me. He must have done it as a surprise right before we left on the launch to go upworld for my birthday dinner. A dinner we never made it to.

I sat down on the neatly made bed and picked up Einstein. I had given Lucas the stuffed bear when I had first met him so many years ago. I had thought that he had grown out of having a bear. He must have keep it hidden. The crew would have teased him about it, and I hadn't seen Einstein since boarding seaQuest. I hugged the bear and kissed its head. "Watch over Lucas," I said as I set him by the computer.

Returning to sit on the bed, I pulled out the blade and laid it beside me. I rolled up my sleeves and looked at my forearms. Faint white lines snaked their way up from my wrists to the inside of my elbows. I picked up the knife and traced it along one scar.

*We'll succeed this time* promised the voice.

Standing outside myself, I watched my hand swiftly and deeply used the knife to make a parallel cut beside the first scar. Without a moments hesitation, I changed hands and pulled the knife along my other arm.

Dropping the knife, I watched as blood flowed down my arms and dripped off my fingers. Droplets fell to the floor and made macabre patterns. Overcome with dizziness, I slumped back on the bed.

*Rest* urged the voice.

My eyes closed with that thought. It was all over now.



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[Ward room at about the same time]

Murphy looked up and saw Commander Ford coming. He looked like he was ready to kill someone.

"Where's Ensign Morgan?" Ford asked, not seeing Morgan present.

The rage in his voice startled Murphy. The commander was known to be so professional and he usually came across as cool.

"Sir," answered Murphy, "she said she wanted to get changed before the captain debriefed her."

"Find her now," ordered Bridger as he came through the door and caught the end of the exchange between Ford and Murphy. "She's under arrest for the attempted murder of Lucas."

Murphy was shocked and confused. He hadn't seen inside the cell. The captain had ordered him to get the doctor before he had seen anything.

"Yes, sir," he snapped out as he turned to leave.

"Sir, that's not the worst thing that happened there," said Ford.

"What do you mean? What could be worse than seeing one of my people trying to kill Lucas?"

With that, Ford handed the tapes over. "O'Neill's bringing a machine that can play these antiques." Tim knocked on the door just then. He came in and hooked up the equipment. As he left he said to the captain, "Make her pay for what she's done, sir. A monster like her needs to be locked up." Knowing that he couldn't go on without losing control Tim left the ward room. He couldn't make himself watch it again.

He and Ford had watched in horror as the past three days unfolded on the screen. How had they taken such a Judas on board? Nathan had to stop the tapes several times. Checking in with Crocker on the search, they learned that she hadn't been found yet. Knowing he had to be by Lucas's side, Nathan started to leave. "Jonathan, let me know when they find her," he ordered the commander.

Nathan had a stop to make on the way to Med. Bay. Lucas might want his bear when he woke up. Nathan had learned about Einstein by accident. One day in Lucas's room, he had started to pick up some of the clutter to sit down to talk with the boy and came across it by accident. At Lucas's embarrassed reaction, Nathan had confessed he had a Pooh bear in his cabin. It had been Robert's before he had grown up and it was one of the few things that Nathan kept to remember him by. Lucas had said, "It's just a gift from a friend. It's nothing important." But Nathan had seen how carefully Lucas had tucked the bear into a corner by the computer. Nathan meant to pick it up on the way to Med. Bay.

Opening the door, Nathan was first of all shocked to see the room so neat. The bear was right beside the computer so he made his way over to pick him up. Before he picked it up, he looked around to make sure there wasn't anything else he could take to Lucas. That's when he saw Morgan. The sight almost paralyzed him. The bed was soaked through with blood and it had also dripped onto the floor.

Activating the intercom he paged Commander Ford and Crocker to come to Lucas's room. As he waited, he applied pressure to Morgan's arms to stop the bleeding. It wasn't enough. Stripping off the pillow case and ripping it in half he tied off both of her arms above the elbow. He then took two towels and wrapped her arms. The tourniquets couldn't stay on long but he only had to get her to Med. Bay. How could someone cold enough to torture Lucas be driven to suicide? Had he missed something?

Ford and Crocker came rushing through the door in answer to Bridger's page and stopped in disbelief.

"Help me get her to Med. Bay. She slit her wrists," the captain explained in answer.

Carefully, Crocker and Bridger picked her up. Ford went ahead and cleared the halls so they could get the Med. Bay as quickly as possible.

A nurse intercepted them at the door. Taking in the damage she called out, "Holly get me some O negative blood and the suture kits s.t.a.t.!" Nathan checked and was told Kristin and Dr. Nguyen were still working on Lucas. He went to wait in Kristin's office. Calling to security, Bridger canceled the search for Ensign Morgan.

Hours later, Kristin came out of surgery looking exhausted. "We repaired as much of the damage as we could here. He'll need to go upworld for further surgeries on his knees."

She couldn't tell Nathan yet that she had found evidence of old abuse. There had been telltale signs of multiple fractures of Lucas's ribs, and a broken femur that had required pins to be stabilized. It had been so severe that he would have had to have been in a hospital for several months.

Yet, none of these were in his official medical report and Lucas had not let her perform a checkup on him when he boarded. He had said as a minor only his parents could order a doctor to perform a checkup against his will. He was right so Kristin had let it go until she could get him to agree to it willingly.

"Tell me what you've found out," she asked.

"Kristin, sit down," Nathan urged. He relayed as much as could and showed her the tapes.

After she had seen it all, she turned to him and said, "All of the damage we repaired today was new. None of what we see on the tapes needed my skills. It's superficial bruising only and will go away in a week or so."

Nathan was shocked. How could she say this after what she had just seen?

"The bruising is just superficial. In my medical opinion, Ensign Morgan didn't inflict any of the serious damage that we found. Where are you holding her?"

"Kristin," Nathan started to tell her but couldn't really finish, so he crossed over to the isolation window and beckoned her to joined him.

She saw the young ensign lying on a gurney with wrist restraints. She hurried in and brushed past the security guard to check Morgan's chart.

"Why wasn't I informed of this?"

"You were busy with Lucas."

Seeing that the nurse who had attended Morgan had done everything she would have, Kristin closed the chart. Double checking the sutures, she saw the first scars beside the current cuts. They would just have to wait and see what this was all about.

"Notify me if there are any changes in Lucas's or Morgan's conditions," she ordered the two nurses. "I'll be in my office." She wanted to check the databases and find out why Morgan's previous suicide attempt and Lucas's broken leg weren't on file. She saw Nathan sit down beside Lucas's bed. If she knew him he was going to be there until the boy woke up. With a sigh, she turned back to the computer and started looking for some answers.



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Lucas fought the waves of warmth that tried to keep him in the womb-like place he had been in. He had been playing with Darwin. Swimming in a sea that cradled and comforted him. But, something imperative nudged at him that he had to take care of before he could go back and rest. Lucas slowly came to as he fought the anesthetic. Everything hurt. When he opened his eyes the first person he saw was Bridger, who looked tired and haunted.

As if sensing Lucas was awake the captain focused on him and called out, "Doctor, he's awake. You said he would be under for several more hours."

Westphalen came out of her office and joined Bridger beside the bed.

Summoning up all the energy he could muster Lucas slowly got out, "Where's Morgan?"

With a reassuring hand on the shoulder that hadn't been dislocated Bridger said, "You don't have to be afraid anymore. You're home and you're safe with us."

At that Lucas struggled to sit up. Concerned Nathan tried to gently hold Lucas down as Kristin ordered Lucas, "Stay still or you could pull your stitches out. You shouldn't even be awake yet."

"You don't understand," Lucas got out when he got his breath back.

"We understand everything because O'Neill found tapes," Nathan replied. "There were video cameras in the cells. We have Ensign Morgan on tape torturing you for the security codes to seaQuest."

"What was on them?" asked Lucas, worried they had the wrong idea about what had happened over the three days that he and Morgan had spent trapped by that madman.

"We saw the Ensign strike a deal to torture you for the codes, beat you repeatedly, and when that didn't work she was going to tell you we were in danger to force you to do what you could to protect us." Bridger held back the most damning evidence- that he had walked in on her trying to suffocate Lucas.

Focusing on what was missing from the captain's summary, Lucas asked, "Where were the cameras placed? I never saw it. Was it one full record or bits and pieces spliced together?"

Not knowing how this would change the facts, Bridger answered, "It was above the door. And yes, it was spliced together like a highlight tape through hell."

Gathering his strength Lucas said, "Captain, Morgan and I talked about what was happening the first day. They interrogated us for the security codes. After the first session, Morgan offered herself in my place. They knew she would do anything to keep me alive. When they left us alone for a minute, we planned how we would get through it. We decided we wouldn't betray seaQuest in any way. If either of us could arrange computer access under any pretense we would take it so I could let you know where we were."

The retelling was taking a toll on Lucas and he had to catch his breath. He lay back in exhaustion. Sweat covered his whole body.

Nathan wiped Lucas's brow with a damp cloth. Settling back against the pillows with a barely suppressed grunt of pain, Lucas continued, "When they came back, they said that Morgan had to interrogate me for the codes. We didn't know why they did that. It was terrible sir. You couldn't see her face if the camera was behind her. When she refused to touch me, they forced us to play a game of Russian Roulette. Morgan had to hold a gun on me and pull the trigger. If she didn't, they were standing beside me waiting to pull their triggers. They had full ammunition in their guns and Morgan only had one bullet. She had no choice sir," Lucas begged the captain to forgive her. "I'll never forget the look in Morgan's eyes when she had to pull that trigger."

Lucas returned to the moment that Morgan had held the gun to his forehead and could smell the gun oil again.

[Flashback]

Both of them had been relieved that the hammer had come down on an empty chamber. When the guards had left them alone again, he had turned to her and whispered, "I forgive you." Morgan collapsed into his arms and said, "I'd rather die than hurt you, Lucas." Holding her shivering body tightly to his he continued, "There's nothing you could do to me that I couldn't forgive. Besides with all the training you took during basic and Crocker's classes, you don't have to really hurt me just make it look bad. Captain Bridger will be here soon to rescue us," he finished with hope in his voice.

[Present]

"But the bruises, they're terrible. She must have hurt you," demanded Nathan in a strained voice wanting to hear that Kristin had been wrong and Morgan had really hurt him.

"Every punch and slap was pulled. She caused them for maximum effect with as little real damage as possible." "I should know," Lucas added in an undertone.

Wiping Lucas's forehead again, Nathan shared a look at Kristin because they had heard the remark. The gossip about the Wolenczak's had hinted at this but nothing official was in any database.

When Lucas had boarded, both had looked for any information to confirm their suspicions. Finding nothing official, they had tried to get answers from Lucas. He had closed off and wouldn't talk to them about it. Then he had seemed to be settling in, so they had agreed to back off and let him come to them when he felt more secure and comfortable about the situation. He had Darwin to talk to and Nathan had seen him with Ensign Morgan in the mess hall.

They had looked like they were getting close. She was pretty, in a girl next door way, but very quiet and she was never seen alone. She was always with Lucas, Darwin, or some tech down in engineering. Nathan had even considered having a talk with the ensign, because Lucas was underage but hadn't gotten to it by the time they had disappeared.

"I could feel the difference between the guards interrogation of me and Morgan's. Captain, I've looked into the eyes of a monster that gets off on abusing others and Morgan would rather die than become one."

Lucas didn't know how prophetic his words were and didn't see Nathan shoot Kristin a glance. With a shake of her head Kristin said, "I thought there was a strange quality to the bruises but I was more worried about the internal injuries. We worked on you for several hours and we still need to schedule you for a couple of orthopedic surgeries to fix your knees.

"She was trying to convince them to give me computer access so I could contact you. They must have become suspicious because the last time they escorted Morgan into the cell, they did the interrogating. We held out for as long as we could. We knew you would rescue us and you did." Exhausted, Lucas closed his eyes for a moment then opened them again.

Nathan saw the absolute trust shining up at him from Lucas's face and wondered what he could have done to win such loyalty. He had failed to understand the situation and was worried that Lucas would turn from him when he found out what had happened to Ensign Morgan.

"Captain you didn't answer me before. Where's Morgan?" exhaustion laced Lucas's voice but he wasn't going to let it claim him until he found out where Morgan was. The last time he had gotten this hurt, Morgan had promised to be by his bedside when he woke up. He could only imagine that after he became unconscious, the guards had started in on Morgan.

"Please tell me she's not hurt," Lucas got out with horror in his voice. Lucas knew that after all she had been through, imagining Morgan being tortured made his stomach churn. He had been glad that they had not beat her after the first day.

"In a minute. Let Kristin check to make sure you're all right and haven't pulled out your stitches."

Nathan walked over to the opposite side of the Med. Bay. He looked up at Kristin a little while later. She nodded after checking Lucas over. She then raised the head of the bed a little so Lucas could look around a little.

"Captain, now will you tell me where Morgan is?"

Nathan knocked on the glass and the curtains were opened on the other side of the isolation chambers window. Lucas saw a security guard and dug into his memory for the name- Murphy. That was his name. *What's Murphy doing in isolation?* But that thought fled as he focused on the other occupant of isolation. It was Morgan and she was asleep. Scanning quickly to see if there were any injuries his eyes stopped on her wrists.

"Why is she in restraints?" betrayal was in Lucas's voice. "Let her out right now!"

Regretfully Nathan glanced at Lucas and tried to soften the blow but it came out bluntly, "When we rescued you, Morgan was suffocating you. There could be no mistake about what we walked in on. O'Neill found the tapes of her torturing you. We had no way of knowing there was any other explanation."

"Captain, no," Lucas said, a hurt look in his eyes. "She saved my life. I've told you that she didn't have any choice in doing what she did. There has to be some explanation. Even if you thought she would harm me, Murphy could hold her down with one hand." In fact Murphy was built like one of their guards and Lucas worried that if Morgan woke up he would scare her. "Take the restraints off!"

"I know that now, but we can't take them off." Swallowing against the guilt that had risen in him as Lucas had relayed what Morgan had gone through to save him, the Captain continued, "Per Naval regulations, any personnel attempting suicide must be restrained until a full psychiatric evaluation can be done." Trying to soften the blow as he could see the shock in Lucas's face, "After seeing what I saw at the facility I ordered a debriefing in the ward room after I had cooled off enough not to lose control. When she didn't show I ordered a search. While I waited for her to be found Commander Ford and Lt. O'Neill showed me the tapes and I was ready to strangle her myself for what she had done to you. The search didn't find her, so I was going to get something out of your room for when you woke up." Nathan didn't elaborate, knowing Lucas didn't want Kristin to know about the stuffed bear he kept in his quarters.

"I opened the door and found her lying on your bed. She had cut her wrists and had lost a lot of blood. We barely got her to Med. Bay in time."

"Then why isn't she awake?" Looking over at Kristin, Lucas got a tight feeling in his heart. No, not again. Maybe it was something else. Maybe he had enough time to get her back if it was what he suspected.

"She hasn't woken up on her own and I can't figure out why," Kristin replied, frustration in her voice. She sounded as if Morgan should wake up just because Kristin willed it so. "It's been 16 hours and she's exhibiting signs of a coma but there is no medical reason for her to be in one. They brought her in as we were operating on you. The nurse sutured her arms and transfused blood to replace what was lost. But, she hasn't responded at all to any of my attempts to wake her."

"Have you given her any drugs?" Lucas asked with panic in his tone.

"No, why do you ask?"

But Lucas just shrugged Kristin's question off in his sudden excitement that he wasn't too late.

"Captain, you have to get her out of there and take off the restraints. I might be able to reach her if she hasn't gone too deep this time."

*This time!?* I'm going to have to review the personnel logs more closely, thought Bridger. Bridger looked at Kristin. It was her call as chief medical officer to decide if this could be done. Seeing the excitement this had generated in Lucas, she motioned to Murphy to take the restraints off and unlock the door. Kristin and Murphy wheeled Morgan's gurney over to Lucas's bed because he could not be moved to her with all the machines hooked up to him.

Lucas reached out with his good arm, careful not to jar the IV tubing, and gently stroked a lock of brown hair off of her face and behind her ear. "You have to come back. Please, I need you. Don't do this to me again. Don't leave me alone."

At that, Nathan and Kristin exchanged glances. The tone in Lucas's voice shocked them. Nathan realized that maybe he had left the talk with Morgan to late. The love in the boy's voice made them realize that Lucas needed some time alone with Morgan.

Kristin made a mental note to check Morgan's file to find out what Lucas meant by 'again'. Looking over Morgan's vital signs, Kristin realized that they were so low that nothing would wake her up for at least another eight hours. She tapped Nathan's shoulder and motioned that they should go into her office.

"Murphy stand guard by the door and give them some privacy but don't let either of them out of your sight this time," ordered the captain as he followed the doctor.

As Nathan and Kristin talked in her office about checking the personnel and medical files on Lucas and Morgan, they could hear Lucas talking very softly through the open door.

"Nathan," Kristen said, "get some sleep. We both need it and they're not going anywhere soon."

Nathan frowned at her, "I knew when I found her on Lucas's bed that she couldn't be the monster I thought she was, but I never thought that they had gotten this close."

"Nathan, worry about it tomorrow."

With that said they left Kristin's office, saw that Lucas was now asleep and turned down the lights and left Murphy to watch over them.



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[As Nathan and Kristin talk in her office]

After Kristin and Nathan went into her office, Lucas tried again, "Morgan, I know you're at peace where you are, but I need you. Here. Now." Lucas deliberately put as much pain into his voice as he could.

It worked. A very faint wrinkle formed between her closed eyes. It smoothed away but Lucas had seen it. He had a chance, but he had to keep pressing.

Pausing a moment to get the real pain under control and marshal his strength, Lucas went on, "Elise I'm hurt, you have to help me." He let his voice break at the end.

This time she seemed to wince. She wasn't waking up but at least she could hear him on some level. Morgan always responded to his voice even when she was in the grip of a terrible nightmare or under heavy sedation. For her this was a nightmare, she was trapped in a memory. Which one he had no way of knowing.

Her walls were strong but Lucas knew where the doors were. Almost like a computer he knew how to hack Morgan's psyche. He would have to be rested though to make the attempt. He was just too weak to go on. Lucas had been fighting to keep his eyes open and mind focused since Bridger and Westphalen had gone into her office. At least he knew it might work when he was stronger.

A single tear rolled down his cheek. Why did fate keep sending them such pain? He had thought they had found a sanctuary here on seaQuest. Tracing with a trembling hand down the new marks on her arms, Lucas reached for Morgan's hand and entwined their fingers so she would know he was there for her. This time he wouldn't let her go.

Once before she had attempted suicide, seeing it as a final option after the 'incident'. The doctors at the hospital tried to help her developed a more stable personality to better cope. Lucas was certain their 'fix' was only a Band-Aid. He was right. When pushed hard enough, Morgan would slip into this 'coma' as a way to cope with the pain. This was the second time that she had used it to escape. The first time had been at the hospital. He had hoped that she wouldn't attempt suicide again. It must have been everything that they had gone through at the facility. By forgiving her for what she had to do, he had hoped to avert this.

His plan of attack formulated, Lucas let his mind rest. As the warmth took him away again, he began to dream of that summer seven years ago when they first met.

[Flashback- seven years ago]

"Mr. Wolenczak you're going to have to wait out here," the nurse urged Lawrence. "We're doing everything we can."

"But my boy tried to kill himself!" Lawrence growled out. "I have to be with him!"

"Sir, the best thing you can do for now is wait for the doctor to come out and tell you what they found."

"I've donated millions to this hospital. I will not be kept waiting by some nurse. Get me the doctor, now!" Lawrence ordered.

Backing off, the nurse left the enraged man to check back with the doctors. If his caring had been genuine, she would have gotten him in somehow. It was all a sham. Mr. Wolenczak just didn't want the boy to tell anyone that he had had help falling down those stairs. In her opinion, it would have been better if the boy had no parents at all. She had seen the fresh bruises on his shoulders in the shape of hands. That plus the evidence of past abuse, would have her on the phone to protective services if this had been just any child.

Last year, Lucas had been checked in for broken ribs he had gotten while 'skating'. The doctor on duty had tried to make a report and been fired. The staff had been told that his harassment of the Wolenczak's could have resulted in the removal of funding that Lawrence provided the hospital. Let anything threaten their precious 'funding' and the hospital would have do anything to take the threat away. One little boy meant nothing to them so long as the money kept flowing in. And she had a mortgage and two children to provide for. She couldn't lose her job. Maybe there was a way to protect Lucas for a little while. Quickly planning her next steps, she called to the psych. unit. Mr. Wolenczak had unwittingly provided the perfect cover.

"Yes, this is the emergency room. After Ortho. gets done with him, we need a psyche. consult on a nine year old boy who tried to commit suicide by throwing himself down some stairs."

Once they had him, psyche. could keep him for the duration of his medical stay. If Mr. Wolenczak fought them on this, they could argue that his money had paid for the best medical care available to help the boy. And help him they would. There was nothing he could do to stop them without making more of a fuss.

Heartened to know she had done what she could, she walked into the E.R. and told the doctor that Mr. Wolenczak wanted to see him immediately. They wheeled Lucas past her as the doctor stormed off the talk to Lawrence. He looked so fragile and small on the gurney. The compound fracture of his femur would have to be pinned back together by Ortho. She reached out, squeezed his hand and prayed *Lord watch out for this child. He needs an angel to watch over him.* Letting go of his hand they took him through the double doors and down the hall to the elevator that would take him to surgery. She hoped she had helped.

[Flashback- seven years ago]

"Lucas you're going to have to participate in sessions if you want to get better." The psychiatrist sounded so reasonable.

The first week, he had been in such pain from his leg that he had told them about the abuse. Nothing had happened. They treated him like he was making the whole thing up so he wouldn't have to face his 'suicide attempt'.

Knowing they wouldn't be any help, Lucas had closed off. Why participate in this farce if it wasn't going to get him away from home? He had been looking for something since his ribs had been broken that could get him away from home. The last thing he had found that looked promising was a new submarine that was being suggested as a research vessel. If he could somehow get his degrees quickly enough, he could work on his father to get him assigned to it one way or another. So long as 'Daddy' thought it was his own idea, it might work.

This afternoon they had tried to get him to go to group sessions to interact with other kids that had attempted suicide. The carrot was getting his laptop back and some internex access. He had agreed reluctantly. Since he hadn't really done this to himself, how could these other kids help him?

It was a disaster. There were only five of them there. The 12 year old twins were crazy. They finished each others sentences and acted like they were one person. They talked about God talking to them and telling them they should come home. The only other boy was 17. He was there because he had tried to kill his parents and himself in a house fire. He kept muttering about dancing with the flames.

Lucas wrote those three of as being too far gone to even talk to. That left the quiet brunette. She seemed to be about 16. She had a cast on her arm but otherwise looked normal.

Working his way awkwardly over to the chairs beside her, "Is this seat taken?"

Startled, she looked up and almost flinched before saying, "No, but I don't want any company."

Ignoring her, he sat down and put the crutches to the side. Turning to her, "So what are you in for?" he said attempting to break the ice.

Rolling her eyes at him, she said, "What do you think, Einstein? I tried to check myself out of this hell hole." As she was saying this, she held out her arm that wasn't in the cast. Lucas could see the fresh cut down her forearm. It was held together by a line of stitches that trailed up her arm like a railroad track.

"Sorry," he responded. "I didn't know."

Sighing, she said, "No. I'm sorry. My name is Morgan. At least that's what everybody here calls me."

"My name is Lucas." Extending his hand to shake hers. "It's nice to meet you."

"Kid, what's your angle?" She stared down at my hand as if she couldn't remember the last time someone had offered her their hand.

"They said I had to participate, if I wanted to get my computer back. I'm not crazy, but I will be soon if I can't get online," he wagged his fingers at her, lifted one eye brow and looked at her through his bangs with a devilish glint in his eyes.

"Einstein, you're already there."

"Lucas" he corrected her.

"Whatever."

This had some potential. Before they could continue, the session was over and the nurses were herding them back to their rooms. Picking up his crutches, Lucas levered himself out of the chair and started off. Tossing over his shoulder, "Same time, same place, tomorrow?" He saw her shrug in answer before he turned and left the room.



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[Still Flashback]

As he was escorted to his room, Lucas saw one of the nurses almost herding Morgan into the room across from his.

"Looks like we're neighbors," he said.

"Just don't come looking for a cup of sugar," she tartly replied.

"Don't worry. I won't," he shot back.

As he settled into bed, Lucas thought again that this had possibilities.

The next morning was the start of a couple of tense days, but Lucas kept at it so he could keep his computer and access to the 'net. It was almost as fun just to try to get a rise out of Morgan. But every time he got too personal, she would withdraw. If he kept the conversation on 'safe' topics, she actually wasn't so bad to talk to. They discovered that they actually shared similar tastes in music and books. It gave them something to talk about during the afternoon sessions. Lucas and Morgan even got to the point where they would go to lunch together.

A few times, it had looked like Morgan would hide a smile if he could keep up with her offbeat sense of humor. Morgan got a wicked delight out of calling him 'Einstein'. The more he protested the worse she got. She had caught him taking one of his finals that had been postponed when he was hospitalized. When she saw the topic was applied theory in artificial intelligence; a topic certainly beyond most nine year olds, he had reluctantly confirmed that he was a certified genius.

"Beat's being a certified nut," she said.

"Peanut or cashew?" he asked with a straight face.

Morgan groaned at the bad pun as she tossed the roll from her lunch at him. Lucas could see she was struggling not to laugh out loud.

That breakthrough saw them spending more time together. That's when Lucas found out that Morgan had a 'private' morning session with the doctors. She usually came back quiet and withdrawn, looking as she had the first day he saw her. If Lucas tried to get her to talk to him, she would be extra surly until she had put whatever had happened in session behind her. They would eat lunch together, then go to group.

One afternoon, Morgan came back extremely pale and shaken from her session.

"What's wrong?" Lucas asked, concern evident in his voice.

"It's nothing!" she snapped at him.

Lucas tried to joke her out of this mood, but every attempt fell flat. Even the bad puns weren't working. Morgan became even more withdrawn as the day wore on.

That evening as Lucas was getting ready for bed, he heard her shower start. He could hear muffled crying from her room. It was too faint to attract the notice of the nurses. Lucas had heard it enough times in the past to recognize it however much she tried to cover it.

Every time he had pushed his father too far and gotten 'corrected' for it, his mom would disappear up to her room and do the same thing. She wouldn't interfere with his father's treatment of him. He had learned not to count on her to protect him. He had wished that she would come to him afterwards, but she never did.

Lucas was torn. Should he go to her or give her some space? Bitter experience as his guide, he stayed in his room.

The shower finally stopped. Lucas could hear her getting ready for bed. Settling back into the pillows, Lucas tried to go to sleep. But, tension kept him up. He wondered what had happened in her session that had so upset her. Vowing to dig into this tomorrow, Lucas turned to his side and again tried to get to sleep.

Long after the floor had quieted for the night, Lucas was still awake. A soft noise drew his attention. Had he imagined it? No, there it was again. Struggling to get out of bed and collect his crutches, Lucas tried to quietly make his way over to Morgan's room.

Entering her room, He could see pain pinching her face and she was flinching from invisible blows. A shudder wreaked her body and a very faint whimper escaped her.

Carefully, Lucas made his way over to the side of her bed. Hesitantly, he stretched out one hand. Barely had he touched her shoulder, when she twisted to the side and angrily snarled, "I won't let you hurt Anne!"

Shocked, Lucas pulled his hand back. She was fairly quivering in rage.

"Morgan. It's me. Lucas." It didn't seem to penetrate. Was she even awake?

Wishing he knew what was going through her mind, Lucas tried again, "Morgan. Wake up," he touched her hand. As if reaching for a life preserver, her hand clutched his. Her fierce grip took him by surprise.

"Anne?" she whispered.

"No. It's Lucas," he tried again to get through to her.

She took in a deep breath. Lucas saw her wake up. She kept her hold on his hand. With her other hand, Morgan pushed her sweat soaked bangs off her forehead. She looked like she had gone ten rounds in a boxing ring and lost. She released a sigh that seemed to drain off a bit of the tension that had earlier quivered through her like lightning.

"Tell me about it," he urged as she released his hand.

Pulling away mentally and physically, she said, "Lucas you don't want to go there." Slowly she got out of bed and filled a glass with water in the bathroom. Returning, she held onto it with both hands. Looking into it as if it held the secrets of the universe, she started to take sips from it.

"Morgan, I know I'm just a kid but I've been there too. I can relate. My father did this to me." Lucas pointed to his leg.

"Lucas, it never would have happened if I had been there. Nobody should hit a child for any reason." The total conviction in her voice convinced Lucas she meant it. "Even telling me that doesn't change the fact you can't have been where I've gone." Noticing the fatigue that pulled at him from standing to long, Morgan said, "Sit down before you fall down."

Grateful to rest his leg, Lucas sat on the edge of her bed. He watched her pace back and forth trying to bleed off the adrenaline that held her in its grip.

Knowing that to push her for answers now could turn her away from him, Lucas backed off. Wishing someone had been there for him, he decided to satisfy his curiosity tomorrow on the 'net. He could always find the answers to anything there.

Morgan finished her water in one large gulp. Setting the glass on the table beside the bed, she crawled back into bed.

"Go back to bed Lucas. I'll be ok now. Thank you for not asking any questions."

Deciding he had done what he could, Lucas made his way back to his room. Starting to plan his attack tomorrow on her files, sleep slowly claimed him.



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[Still Flashback]

In the morning, Morgan was late for breakfast. He worried that she wasn’t going to show because of what had happened the night before.

Suddenly the door flew open and Morgan rushed in. With a little wave his way, she stood in line to get breakfast.

“Sorry, I’m late but the nurse stopped me to say my morning sessions were canceled for the next two days,” she said as she sat down with her tray.

Lucas was glad that she wasn’t mad at him. He had come to like her. She treated him as a person; not a just a brain, Lawrence Wolenczak’s son, or a kid. The only problem would be that he couldn’t hunt for any information if she was with him. He knew that he wasn’t there by choice. Maybe the same thing had happened to Morgan. Maybe someone had hurt her. He was curious to see if her file could clear up any of his questions.

As the day went on he had fun because she was in a good mood. Even the staff took note of her attitude. The staff had worried at first that Morgan and Lucas wouldn't get along because of the age difference. But instead of being bad for them, it was almost as if she had adopted him as a little brother. There was still a boundary that they didn't cross, histories that couldn't be shared. However, if Lucas was pushed by anyone on staff, she would step in to protect him like a lioness with her cub.

This lighter more playful side of Morgan made him even more curious about what happened in the morning sessions that caused her to be so defensive. It had to somehow be connected to her nightmare last night.

Finally about an hour before lunch, Lucas couldn’t contain his curiosity any longer, like an itch that he just had to scratch. “Morgan, I need to work on a special project for about an hour. Ok?”

Morgan snorted in disbelief. *An hour? Yeah right. More like two or three, * she thought to herself. She knew how involved he got with his ‘special projects’. Most of the time he acted like a normal kid, but then something would capture his imagination and his brain would go into overdrive trying to solve it.

She had barely been able to pry him away from his computer the last time he had declared he had a special project. “Ok, one hour then, just promise that I get the afternoon.”

“Promise!” he said.

Clearly thrilled that she had agreed, Lucas got to work at his computer as Morgan settled in and started to read a book. A voice broke her concentration.

“Lunch time,” announced the floor nurse.

Morgan closed the book and saw that the hour was almost up. She went over to Lucas and stood in front of him. She knew how he hated people looking over his shoulder when he was at the computer. “Lunch, Lucas,” pitching her voice so he knew he had to respond.

“In a minute,” he replied as if by rote. He hadn’t even looked up.

Morgan knew he would work through lunch if she let him. Deciding to give him another fifteen minutes, Morgan went to collect two trays for them and sat down across from him.

If Morgan knew what he was doing, she wouldn’t have given him those fifteen minutes.

Lucas had started the hour confident that he would find the information easily and quickly. It hadn’t worked that way. He had seen her last name on the charts, but there was no record of a Morgan Smith in any public database. Frustrated that he couldn’t find the information, Lucas kept digging.

He hacked into the medical database for the hospital. Still nothing. Not discouraged, Lucas realized that maybe Smith wasn’t her real last name. Why would someone go to this much trouble to hide a patient? He expanded the search to any mention of a Morgan at the hospital. After eliminating staff, there was still one file that looked promising. Lucas tried to access it but it had several layers of security. Nothing he couldn't get past, but why would this file have any encoding at all beyond the normal security he had already bypassed to get in?

Vaguely, he heard a voice that demanded an answer. “In a minute” he said automatically. As the last of the blocks dissolved Lucas realized he had reached pay dirt. It was a file of the notes from the private sessions. Lucas quickly scanned it for anything useful. What he found stunned him.

The doctors had been trying to make her remember her past. Morgan wasn’t even her real name. When she had woken up after the suicide attempt, she had called herself Morgan. The file seemed to suggest that she had another name. The notes went on that she was suffering from amnesia or a psychotic break. One doctor on the team had even theorized that Morgan was schizophrenic, because her personality was radically different. There was an interview with one of her foster families. *Foster family?* She had never mentioned that. Looking at it Lucas became puzzled. It described a quiet, withdrawn kid. Sensitive and gentle. More of a bookworm than anything else. This was not his Morgan. Morgan was strong, forceful, and sure of herself. They couldn't be talking about the same person.

Seeing an further attachment note, Lucas pulled it up and saw two photos. One was of a nine year old girl with blonde hair and blue eyes. He had never seen her before. It was eerie but Lucas would have sworn she was his sister, if he wasn’t an only child. It was labeled ‘Anne’. O.K. that solved one question. Focusing on the other, he was shocked to see Morgan. The picture was labeled ‘Elise’.

Looking up from the screen, Lucas said, “Elise?”

Morgan’s head snapped up. “Where did you hear that name?!” she demanded.

“It’s in your file.”

A red haze covered Morgan's mind. Her heartbeat was suddenly the only thing she could hear. *He knows. He knows.* Panic swamped her mind. “You had not no right to look into my file.” Anger quivered through her body. "Someone will be alerted by your search!"

“I only wanted to…” he tried to defend his actions.

The stormy look on her face convinced him this was bad. Very bad. He watched as she visibly worked to rein in her anger. “If I had wanted you to know, I would have told you. You had no business looking into things that don't concern you." She said in a very controlled and tight voice.

"I can help you," Lucas broke in.

"Nobody can help me." Maybe if he was still offering to help, he hadn't seen the whole file. "I can't trust you, however much I might want to. Trust always leads to betrayal. Like now. I trusted you not to go looking for this."

"I never promised I wouldn't look. You don't have to trust everybody, but you can't live without trusting someone, sometime." Lucas's belief shone in his eyes.

"Who do you trust, Einstein?" Morgan asked harshly. She had gleaned that he had a bad home life. Certainly he had learned the harsh lessons in life like she had. Trust no one. Ever.

"I trust you, Morgan." Absolute sincerity rang through his voice. "You've never told them about the times I went on the 'net when I should have been doing my finals. You've never pushed me about my dad."

That stopped her cold. So little effort on her part had made him think she was trustworthy. It had been a game more than anything. Could he get around the staff? Why get him in trouble? It would have served no purpose. What had she done to be saddled with this child and his foolish ideas. There was no way she was going to burden a nine year old with her history, no matter how smart he was. There just wasn't any way that he could understand, no matter how adult he seemed at times. He didn't even see the similarity. If she hadn't pushed him about his home life, she had expected him to respect it and return the favor.

Besides, I don’t want to remember that time of my life.” She said with finality in her voice.

“You remember what happened?” his voice had raised with his shock. The records had indicated that Morgan didn’t have any memory before waking up in the hospital.

“Lucas don’t announce it to the whole world,” she hissed at him. Leaning in to indicate he should talk softer if he was even foolish enough to pursue it, "Leave it alone, Lucas."

"But I want to help," he implored. "Are you hiding from someone or something?"

"What can you offer me? Promises? Sweetness and light? The less you know about that part of my life the safer you'll be."

He just stared at her with a hurt look in his eyes that she wouldn't let him help.

She couldn't go on tearing at him. It was like kicking a puppy. He reminded her of Anne. In a deep part of her heart, a tiny door opened. Maybe if she gave him a bit he would back off. Taking a deep breath and releasing the anger she had been holding on to, she said, “Yes. I don’t feel attached to them. It’s like they’re someone else’s memories, but I remember everything from age eight to this minute.”

“Why don’t you just tell the doctors you remember everything?”

“Einstein I don’t want anyone to know what really happened the night I was brought here. I’d rather play dumb than be locked up for life. They can’t know the truth.” She hoped that would satisfy his curiosity, but she hadn't counted on his stubbornness.

Asking the other question that her answers had raised, Lucas went on, “How can you not feel ‘attached’ to your memories?”

“Lucas,” she used his name to emphasize her point. “It’s over. Promise me you'll let it go.”

“Why is there a picture with the name Elise on it?” he asked still troubled by it all. "I can't promise to forget what I've found. I need to know what happened.

With a sigh, Morgan moved her chair around next to Lucas’s. “I knew you couldn’t leave this alone. Alright. This is just between the two of us. It can go no farther. Promise.”

“I promise,” he swore.

Morgan could see the confusion on his face. “I’m not Elise.”

“But…”

“Do you know anything about split personalities?” she interrupted him. She wondered if a nine year old could really understand what she was about to reveal.

“Yes, of course. Psychology was one of my required courses in college. You’re talking about schizophrenia.” Realization dawned in his eyes, but also disbelief. “You’re not crazy!”

“Thanks for the vote of confidence, but I am.” Well, he hadn't fallen apart by hearing this much, maybe she could trust him a bit more no matter how much it countered her instincts. Looking around to make sure they weren’t being listened to, Morgan continued, “I won’t be a victim like Elise was. She couldn’t fight back. I can. Something broke inside her that night. The first thing I truly experienced for myself was looking out of her eyes and seeing a monster. She retreated from the danger. I did what had to be done, but I couldn’t stay in control. Elise came back to something from her worst nightmare and attempted suicide. So long as I stay in control, it won’t happen again.”

Lucas couldn’t keep quiet any longer, “But what if you can’t stay in control?”

“The doctors aren’t just trying to get me to remember. They have also been building psychological barriers with drugs and hypnosis to make sure I don’t do it again. I’ve been trying to put my own twist on their plans, but I don’t know how successful I’ve been. I haven't let them know that I can direct the sessions. The hypnotism and drugs don't have the full effect the doctors planned on. I don't know why, but it's handy. I figure with enough stress, I’ll just shut down like your computer.” She reached over and flipped off the power to his monitor to make her point.

Lucas stared at the blank screen for a moment, trying to absorb it all. Looking up, the questions just tumbled out one on top the other, “What will be enough stress to do that? What precisely do you mean by shut down? Why on earth would you let them do that to you?”

“Lucas, I don’t want Elise to come back. She was an excellent student and model foster child, but she had no direction, no backbone. I’m stronger and better able to cope.”

Glancing down at her wrists, she went on, “I don’t really know what they’ve chosen as a trigger or the exact effect it will have. It’s worth it, if it will stop her from doing this again. They were pushing yesterday. That’s why I had the nightmare last night.”

“If you can’t talk about it with the doctors, will you at least talk to me about it?” Lucas asked.

“You’re so young but sometimes you act like you’ve seen it all. OK. Tomorrow Lucas. It’s not something I really want to remember. Give me some time to get it all sorted out so it will make sense.”

“It’s a deal. I’m going to hold you to that promise.” Lucas held out his hand so they could shake on it. His actions were so adult.

“Oh, we’ve gone way past that,” impulsively leaning forward Morgan hugged Lucas.

It shocked him. He froze up not knowing how to react. He was glad she was opening up to him, but uncomfortable with her forwardness.

Sensing his discomfort, Morgan pulled back. She released her hold. A question was in her eyes.

The Wolenzcak’s didn’t hug. Ever. The only time his father did touch him was to hit him. Of course, Lucas had seen other people hug, at college and on vids, but he had never been on the receiving end of one. It confused him.

“Boundaries, huh?” she finally asked.

“It’s OK,” Lucas said. Struggling against an inner barrier Lucas leaned forward and hugged Morgan. He shocked both of them with his action.

*Why couldn’t we have met before this for both our sakes? * Morgan thought.

Suddenly choked up, she pulled back with a laugh that too easily could turn into crying.

“Enough of this. Eat your lunch Lucas.” Morgan pushed his tray towards him.

*I pray he’ll still talk to me after I tell him about the incident. *

Morgan’s prayer would be ignored, because fate had other trials in store for them.

[Still Flashback]

In the morning, Morgan was late for breakfast again. Lucas thought, *Maybe I pushed too hard yesterday. * He didn't have long to worry about it though.

Almost in repeat of the day before the door flew open and Morgan rushed in. This time she looked like a thundercloud ready to strike anyone that dared to come too close. She bypassed the line and stalked over to the table Lucas was at.

"Those stupid doctors! They can never make up their minds. The nurse said that the session was back on for today," she said as she threw herself into the chair beside him. "I have to show up in fifteen minutes."

"Morgan, it's O.K.. We can talk this afternoon." Lucas wanted her to know that he knew it wasn't a delaying tactic on her part to avoid him.

"I just wish that I didn't have to go through this farce anymore. I'm getting tired of jumping through their hoops and telling them what they want to hear."

"Morgan, I'm stuck here for the next month at least, because of my leg. You can't go. You'd leave me with the Spook Squad?" he asked with a nod in the direction of the other three patients in their ward.

"No, Lucas. I would never leave you alone with them. They're just too weird. I wouldn't even leave you alone with the staff if I didn't have to." Snagging his hand in hers, she gave it a squeeze as she said, "Thank you for understanding. I had it all planned out, what I was going to say, how you'd react. Everything. And now this!" frustration practically screamed from every part of her body.

"Morgan, calm down. I'm not in any hurry. I can wait now that I know you will tell me eventually. Get a move on before they come looking for you." He patted her hand that held his to let her know he supported her but wouldn't push.

"You're right again Einstein." She let his hand go and got up to leave. "I'll meet you here for lunch. Save me a tray. Nothing will interrupt us this afternoon."

Lucas watched her as she left. At the door, she half turned around and waved good-bye to him.

*Maybe after she tells me her story, I'll tell her mine, * Lucas contemplated. He made his way back to his room and settled in for the morning.

Booting up the computer, Lucas started a more intensive search into Morgan's background. He didn't want to be surprised by anything she told him. He set his computer alarm to stop him right before lunch so he wouldn't get caught up in his search.

Sometime later while he was hacking into yet another database trying to find any information, an odd feeling made him look up suddenly. It was an hour before lunch. Morgan had been gone for about three hours. *What was going on? * Lucas turned off the computer. He got up to investigate.

Looking to the left and the right at his doorway, he didn't see anything suspicious. Some gut feeling pulled him to the left. At the end of the hall, he turned left again, deciding not to go towards the cafeteria. The double doors at this end of the hall stood like silent sentinels. He had never come down this way before. Something still pulled at him.

His crutches made a soft noise on the linoleum. *Where was everybody? * As he approached the doors, Lucas could see that there was a security box beside them. When he reached it, he saw it was a simple electronic keypad. He pulled off the case and studied the wires for a moment. Crossing the green and yellow wires, the doors opened.

Sounds crashed over him, when the doors opened. It was a medium sized room filled with a lot of people and machines. Nurses and doctors were rushing around and equipment noises added to the confusion. Amid all this was Morgan. She was unconscious and hooked up to various machines and monitors. Everybody and everything seemed to hover around her bed.

"Doctor, respiration is unchanged at 6 and pulse is still 40," a nurse called out.

Lucas didn't have a degree in medicine, but knew this sounded bad.

"Doctor, her B/P is crashing. 60 over 33!" another tech stated urgently.

"Damn it! I told you we were pushing her too hard," one doctor said as he turned on one of the others. "Now look what you've done."

*What had they done? * raged Lucas. If they had hurt Morgan, he would make them pay. He tried to see if she was hurt. As he got closer to the bed, someone spotted him.

"What's the kid doing here?"

That did it. All motion stopped. Everyone turned to him. Trapped by his leg, he couldn't get away fast enough. A doctor grabbed him and hauled him out of the room.

"You didn't see anything. You shouldn't be sticking your nose into other people's business." As they rounded the corner back to Lucas's room, he could see a nurse was by his door.

"Make sure he doesn't leave his room this time," the doctor ordered the nurse. He turned to go back down the hall.

"Tell me what's going on!" Lucas yelled after the doctor. Getting no response, he turned on the nurse and repeated his question.

"Now don't you worry about Morgan. Everyone is working to make sure she'll be fine." The nurse sounded just a bit off and she couldn't meet his eyes as she said it. She settled him in bed and left with his crutches.

Lucas could get around without them. It was painful, but it could be done. But for now, he would let them think he was helpless. Even though that was the farthest thing from reality as he booted up his computer.

*What are they keeping from me? * he thought. Lucas set to work. If they wouldn't tell him what he wanted to know, he would find out for himself. Even at nine, there were very few people that could match Lucas's skill at the computer.

For the next three days, Lucas searched for answers. Without a last name it was very hard, but Lucas could be as tenacious as a bulldog when he wanted to. Lucas used the session notes and the names of every doctor that had signed off on anything for her. Maybe there would be a clue hidden in there somewhere.

Every time the nurses and doctors came to him, he only had two questions. "What happened to Morgan?" and "When can I see her?" For those three days, they wouldn't answer him and he wouldn't interact anymore with them at that point. For group, they would come and get him, He went but didn't participate. Lucas would snag a bit to eat at the mealtimes. He could be as stubborn as need be until he got his answers.

Every so often they would check on what he was doing. Lucas programmed the computer to relay his homework if anyone was watching. *Let them chew on that! *

He had finished the last of his finals a week ago, when they first gave him back his computer. Officially, he was getting started on his M.A. work. Lucas limited his time to searching only during the day and only after he had set up the false trail of homework. He didn't want them to become suspicious. Even so, they tried to take the computer away. He had almost tracked down a possible lead. One of the reports had been forwarded to someone at the UEO. It didn't make any sense. What interest could the UEO have in Morgan?

Lucas didn't leave his bed that entire day in protest. He wouldn't even eat. Threats to put him on an IV didn't alter his focus either. Worried because Lucas was the son of one of their largest contributors, the doctors tried to contact Lawrence all day. Finally, they got through at the end of the day.

Listening to the doctors explain the situation with half of his attention, Lawrence snapped at them, "So long as he's working on his degree and not compromising his health, let him keep the computer," He was eager to get back to whatever he was working on. Taking the time away from it to deal with a "Lucas Problem" made him angry that the boy couldn't behave even in a hospital.

Reluctantly, the doctors brought back his computer. Lucas sat up and smiled at them. Switching on the computer, he asked, "What happened to Morgan?" and "When can I see her?" then added when he got no answer, "Can I get something to eat?"

Relieved that at least he wasn't ignoring them anymore, the doctor told the orderly, "Get him something from the cafeteria."

"But doctor, it's closed for the evening," argued the orderly.

"If you can't perform your job you can be replaced," threatened the doctor.

The orderly hurried off to get Lucas something to eat.

Now that he was alone with Lucas, the doctor leaned in , "Mind your own business, kid. She's a lost cause."

Alarmed, because he had been able to read more of the case note history but nothing about what was going on with her currently, Lucas asked, "Why do you call her a lost cause?"

"She's been in a coma since that morning. She hasn't responded to any of our attempts to wake her up. She has as little brain activity as a mushroom." He wouldn't go into details. Even knowing Lucas was a genius didn't stop the doctor from relaying the information in a manner even a child could understand. "No medicines have been able to wake her up." Almost to himself the doctor went on, "Unfortunately, we can't use more radical techniques so long as the UEO is keeping tabs on her." Disappointment laced the doctor's voice.

Curiosity piqued Lucas's interest. Maybe he could make this work for him. "If you can't get her to wake up, can I try? At least let me see her and talk to her."

Why was this kid so concerned about her? The doctor thought about it. The best doctors had already given it a shot with no results, why not let the kid try? Maybe then he would see it was hopeless.

"All right. It's worth a try. Tomorrow morning at nine o'clock report to the room you saw her in before." The doctor said as he turned to leave.

Lucas was exhausted, but could barely get settled that night. The orderly brought him the snack he had requested and the crutches he hadn't and left. His mind replayed the conversation with the doctor. There was something that nagged at him. *What was it? * His mind finally pulled it out. *The UEO was keeping tabs on Morgan? * He was too tired to track it down tonight. Even if he wasn't, they would definitely see the activity if he used the computer tonight. He couldn't compromise his link to the information that might get them out of this situation.

At least they promised him access to Morgan tomorrow. She looked like the only one that could answer his questions about her past. It would be just like cracking a computer security code. He just had to look at it like a hack job. Only this time it would be on a person, not a machine. He couldn't fail. Failure wasn't an option in his mind. On that thought, Lucas fell asleep.

Lucas's voice was hoarse. He had been talking to Morgan for two weeks. He made sure to keep up his diversions and real searching on the computer and went to the cafeteria at meal times and to his room at night. The doctors were perplexed at his devotion to this girl he hardly knew. He kept at it like he was family. Nobody could talk him out of his vigil.

She still hadn't woken up. *Maybe it's futile like the doctors said.* But Lucas had never lost a battle before and he didn't intend to now.

He had talked to her at first as a friend, pleading with her to return for him. But his attempts to call her back to herself went unanswered. She had lain unresponsive to his pleas, like a doll.

When it had become apparent this wasn't going to work, Lucas turned to his computer. He would talk to her as he searched for records to explain what had happened to her.

The confirmation that her records were being forwarded to the UEO was helpful. He had found it the morning that he had first been allowed to see her. It was sent to a blind box address somewhere in the Justice Department. Lucas was still trying to track it down, but without her real name it was proving difficult. Further searches for any files on Morgan Smith or 'Elise' were unproductive. He needed her last name.

"Morgan, what happened to get you sent here?" Lucas asked. He question went unanswered, just like all of his other questions. Tapping away at the keys, he added, "What is your real last name? Any little hint would be a breakthrough right now." fatigue and frustration in his voice.

"Hunter."

The response made him jump. With a quick look over to Morgan's bed, he could see she was still unconscious. Glancing over at the door, Lucas saw the doctor that had granted him access to her in the first place.

"Her real name is Elise Hunter."

"Why is her name Morgan Smith on her charts? Why are you telling me this?" Lucas demanded.

Walking into the room, the doctor began checking on her vitals. "I don't know why I telling you this, but it might help you get her back. I know you're searching for information on her past." The doctor paused and looked over his shoulder, "I won't tell them," he answered with a nod to indicate the other staff. "You might be her only hope. When she was admitted, we thought it was a simple suicide attempt after the incident she was involved in. When we got her to talk to us, she said her name was Morgan Smith. She wouldn't admit to being Elise Hunter. She won't answer to that name at all. We were forced to use 'Morgan'."

Making some notes in her chart, the doctor continued, "I was skeptical at first. I thought you wouldn't be able to help her. When you asked me to discontinue drugs the first day, I really thought you were wrong. However, her vital signs have picked up and she will respond to stimuli now. We wouldn't have moved her back to her room if she hadn't." To prove his point, the doctor pinched Morgan's foot. She flinched and moved away from him. Lucas almost protested but any response was a good one. The first day she had been so deep that even that had not gotten a response.

"It's incredible. The stimulants we were pumping into her should have had her running around the hospital, but they only seemed to push her deeper. You've been here every day. I wouldn't have expected that of a nine year old. Why are you so interested in helping her? You only met her a month ago."

"I can't explain it. Something about her seems so familiar. It's like I have to help her. She puts up a tough front but inside I think she's so alone it scares her to death." She really reminded Lucas of himself, but he wasn't going to tell the doctor that.

"Well, just don't forget to grab something to eat tonight. It's almost 10," the doctor ordered as he left. It was almost time for lights out.

As the doctor exited the room, Lucas popped back onto the 'net. He didn't have much time, but he was quickly rewarded. Elise Hunter he typed into his search engine. Immediately he found the information that he had expected to find the first day he had searched for Morgan Smith.

It was all there; date of birth, foster family information and notes from the social workers, an admission file for the hospital and a police report. Intrigued, Lucas pulled up the police report.

What he read shocked him:

[16 year old subject was unconscious when we arrived in response to a 911 call. (See attached file for copy of call.) After securing the scene, my partner and I came to the initial determination that the male victim had been clubbed to death (pending coroner's report). Evidence points to a baseball bat used by the 16 year old subject. Further interview with other foster child (minor- 9) Anne Howard reveal that the male victim had entered her room at approximately 2 am. He made threats and hit her on the face. When she screamed for help the second foster child (minor Elise Hunter-16) came to her aid, at which time the victim broke Miss Hunter's arm. At this time Miss Howard is unsure of what happened next but it seems that Miss Hunter armed her self with the bat and in self defense attacked the victim. Previous reports are on file with this office supporting his history as physically aggressive. Social services was contacted and claim no knowledge of his history. Miss Howard was released into their custody. Miss Hunter was sent to University Hospital due to self inflicted injuries. The cuts on her arm are apparently an attempt to commit suicide. Miss Howard indicated Miss Hunter was in a daze and clubbed the victim to death, after which she placed the 911 call and then got a knife from the kitchen and slit her wrists. The evidence has been bagged and filed with the evidence department. A copy of this report has been filed with the district attorney's office if they wish to proceed with criminal charges against Miss Hunter.]

Lucas looked up from reading the report with tears in his eyes.

His Morgan had killed someone? Admittedly in self defense, but Lucas couldn't imagine the pain it had taken for Morgan to strike back. He knew only to well how much pain a person could take without striking out. Mainly, though, his response was to manipulate the situation into his favor.

He wouldn't be young and under his father's control forever. Even now he had plans forming that would take him out of his father's sphere of influence before he was eighteen. But murder?

Lucas knew he didn't have it in him no matter how pressed he was. It wasn't an option. And then to attempt suicide over it? There had to be more to this than the report told.

He had found a clue that might help him though. One of her caseworkers had indicated that she loved the works of J. R. R. Tolkien, especially The Hobbit. Whenever she was placed with another family, it was one of the few possessions she took with her.

Checking his online files, Lucas saw that the book was on his account. Tomorrow he would start reading it to her. Maybe it would reach whatever place she had retreated to. Switching off his computer, Lucas got up and left her room. The short distance to his room seemed much further but the staff would check to make sure that he was in his own room. At least he had some answers. No all, but enough to be excited about his chances tomorrow.



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There was no pain where she drifted, no sights, no smells, no memories. Just extremely pleasurable feeling of floating, now in free air. She was surrounded by a comfortable womb like warmth.

After a long time, there was a faraway sound, a voice inside her head. Mainly she ignored it as she floated in the beauty and peace of that place. She could have happily existed there forever.

Gradually, she became aware that the faraway sound wasn't in her head, and it wasn't so far away, either.

No, it was a voice droning on and on close by her ear.

Though it intruded upon her consciousness, it didn't push her to remember like the other voices had.

Eventually, the drone resolved itself into words, and the words slowly became comprehensible.

He (yes, the voice was male, she decided) was reading something- something familiar- Tolkien?

Yes that was it, and he must have been at it for quite a while, because he was reading from the last part of the Hobbit.

Roads go ever ever on,
over rock and under tree,
by caves where never sun has shone,
by streams that never find the sea;
over snow by winter sown,
and through the merry flowers of June,
over grass and over stone,
and under mountains in the moon.

Roads go ever ever on
under cloud and under star,
yet feet that wandering have gone
turn at last to home afar.
Eyes that fire and sword have seen
and horror in the halls of stone
look at last on meadows green
and trees and hills they long have known.

The voice paused for a moment. She heard swallowing.

*Don't stop,* she whispered in the place where she was. Who was that with the hoarse voice? She forced her eyes open a slit, just enough to focus on Lucas.

He was sitting in a chair beside her bed. He was just setting down a glass of water. He looked ghostly pale and drawn, the lines of fatigue etched beside red-rimmed eyes.

She wondered how long he had been sitting there, and why, and wanted to reach out to him. She was so weak all she could move was her head. The movement caught his attention.

She found herself being assessed by a pair of penetrating blue eyes. "Morgan?! ," he finally said shocked. "I thought I had lost you."

Lost her? How? Unable to stay awake, her eyes closed. She looked just as she had for the past weeks.

With a sigh, Lucas closed the file. Had he just imagined that Morgan had woken up or was it real? It had been a month and once before he had thought she had woken up. Now unsure and exhausted, Lucas saw that it was 10:30pm and it was past time or him to return to his room.



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The shouts sounded like murmurs to her numbed ears, murmurs far away and having nothing to do with her.

She saw the rescue personnel hover amidst this horror scene.

"I've never seen anything like this before in my life."

"Pray that you never do again," a steady voice answered.

Something had gone terribly wrong.

She awoke suddenly alone. Trapped. No sound except her own harsh breathing to reassure her straining ears.

"Help me!" she cried out reflexively.

"Morgan?" came the muffled sleepy reply from across the hall.

"Lucas!" she called.

A muffled grunt and a strange shuffling sound broke the silence. Morgan remembered the sound as Lucas's leg as it was dragged along in his hurry to get to her.

"You're really awake!" he said.

She nodded, sniffling, as his palm flattened to push the damp hair off her forehead.

"I'm sorry. I don't know what happened. I woke up alone and panicked." she said.

"No wonder you're having nightmares. The session notes said the doctors were trying to get you to remember the incident. I don't understand. Why if you remember it could it have this effect on you?"

"They were trying to get me to remember something else," was all she would say. Looking away from him, unable to meet his eyes. "I'm afraid to be alone. I'm afraid that ... as soon as I close my eyes, it'll come back. Please don't ask me about it."

Lucas stiffened at the anguish in her voice. She was saying something else, begging him, not with words, but with her heart.

"I'll stay all night if you want me to," he vowed.

Morgan felt him looking down at her and tilted her head back so that she could see his face.

Her Lucas, with that wise, sad smile.

"I'm forgiven, then?" She asked.

"Yes, but don't do that to me again. This had been the worst month of my life."

"A month!?" She was shocked at the length of time that had passed. "And you stayed the whole time?"

"Yes, I did. You're my friend Morgan I wouldn't leave you."

"You saved my life." *Everyone else would have given up* she thought. *You've given me something else. A family not of blood but of the soul.* A connection that had pulled her from the depths of herself.

" It was almost like you went so deeply into your own mind that nothing touched you," he gently probed for answers.

"It touched me, all right," she assured him grimly.

"I remember some of it. I remember.. him."

"What is the last thing you remember?"

A leering face with glittering eyes and a predatory smile, etched on the inside of her eyelids, made her shudder. Unable to continue with that memory, she instead focused on the most recent horror. The remembered snap of breaking bones made clutch her arm that was in the cast. Unable to face it right now, she pleaded, "Tomorrow, Lucas. Okay? Just sit with me for now."

With a sigh, he stopped pressing. Tomorrow she had promised. Oh well, he had waited this long. One more night wouldn't hurt him. He settled himself into the chair by her bed and still holding on to her hand, he fell asleep.



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Lucas felt stiff and uncomfortable. *Why did I fall asleep in a chair?* Lucas wondered. He opened his eyes and started to stretch out the stiffness. He'd have to get back to his room before the nurses saw him. He froze in mid stretch when he saw that Morgan was watching him. *She's awake! I wasn't dreaming* His arms and mouth dropped at the same time.

A crooked grin suddenly spread on his face as he asked, "Been awake long?" making a joke to break the ice.

Morgan returned his smile. "No, not long. I've been watching you sleep. Something I guess you've had a lot of practice with recently." The smile left her face as a more serious expression took it's place. "I've been thinking about what I should tell you. We obviously missed our lunch date, huh?"

"Yeah well, better late than never," joked Lucas. "Morgan, I have to confess that I've already found out about the incident and that your real name is Elise Hunter." He had an accepting look on his face. "Tell me about Anne?" He gently prompted.

Morgan was shocked. Of course, he was smart, but for him to find out her past, he would have had to have hacked into several databases. Given his curiosity and the time that she had been asleep, it was possible. She had hoped to break it to him herself.

Morgan sighed and looked away. "She was the new kid in the house. She was too young to understand the rules. I tried my best to look out for her, but I failed." Morgan's voice cracked at the end. "I never want to fail another child. Except for the last home, the foster families I stayed with were good people. "

"Morgan, look at me." Lucas wanted her to believe what he was going to say next. "Whatever you did, you did in self defense. No one has ever shown me that kids come first. Nobody believes me... us. If we try to tell them something's wrong, they ignore us or think we're lying. I'm glad you protected yourself and Anne. No one has protected me from my father."

"Lucas, does your dad hit you?" He seemed to think about it for a minute and then reluctantly confirmed her suspicions.

"Yeah, but I usually stay out of his way and act like a helpless child. He gets so busy with his company, that I can go days or weeks without seeing him. It's only when I slip and he catches me at something, that he hits me. This last time, though, I pushed on purpose to see how far he'd go."

"How can you live like that?"

"It's the only life I've known." His calm acceptance threw Morgan for a loop. She had never met anyone quite like him before.

"You remind me of Anne, but you're fighting back. You don't see anything wrong with what I did?"

"You did the best you could." Lucas championed. His look of faith, made her realize that he really didn't understand what had happened back at the foster home or its implications.

"Are you satisfied with the answers you found?" Morgan wanted to know. *He thinks he found all the facts. I hope he's satisfied with that. I won't lie to him, but he might not be prepared for the truth.*

"The only thing I don't understand is why you tried to kill yourself after you defended yourself and Anne from that monster." Lucas was clearly struggling with the issue.

"Lucas after I heard Anne scream, I was running on adrenaline. I had to help her. When I saw Blake raise his hand to hit her again, I grabbed his arm. When he shoved me away, my arm hit the door jam and broke."

Taking a breath, Morgan continued on, "I don't know, I could say it was the pain. To be honest, I would have to say that I had been pushed too far. Too many time, I saw him hit the little ones. Usually, they didn't make waves and they were in and out in a couple of weeks. A month at most. I had been there for five months. I had seen the pattern too many times."

"One time he went too far and I thought he had killed one of them. I called the cops anonymously. Nothing really changed. They came and took the kid to the hospital but no official reports were filed with social services. Anne was placed after he left. I couldn't get myself out and not her." Tears swelled in her eyes. Morgan couldn't continue to look at Lucas. He reminded her of Anne too much. The next part would decide if he was going to turn away from her too.

"Anne was so sweet. She was like an angel. He hurt her. I was so mad. All I remember, after I heard my arm snap, was that this had to stop. I got the baseball bat out of the closet. I hit him once across the back. He turned on me and I just kept hitting him until he couldn't hurt us anymore." As she had gone on, her voice had gone flat. It was like she was turning off the emotions surrounding that night.

"Why did you stop? Why did you hurt yourself?" Lucas still didn't understand.

"Anne was crying. It got my attention like nothing else would. That's why I stopped hitting Blake. By then it was too late. He was already dead. I looked over at Anne to make sure she was okay. She had this horrified look on her face. I tried to reach out to her but my hands were covered in blood. She started to scream. In her eyes, I was worse than Blake." The tears Morgan had been fighting fell down her cheeks. She made no move to brush them away.

Reaching over, Lucas gently brushed them off her cheeks. "It's okay. You did what had to be done. You can tell me what happened next."

"Lucas you remember me telling you I was crazy?" At his nod, she continued, "Elise and I were together through thick and thin, going from foster home to foster home. I was her voice of reason. I kept her out of trouble through the years. I stayed in the background. I never took control before. Something snapped in her when I took matters into my own hands, so to speak, and hit Blake. It wasn't in her personality to fight back. She regained control when I couldn't face Anne. What I had done was so far from Elise's ability to cope that she just couldn't face life anymore. She made a choice not to face that pain. She felt she couldn't trust me.. herself anymore. We didn't have any family. No friends. We had barely made a few acquaintances. We were so alone. It was almost better to die than be so alone. We had had each other before that, but she turned away from me."

Lucas reached out and grabbed her hands. "Morgan you're not alone anymore. I'm here. I'll stay with you until they discharge us. Even then we can stay in contact. I've been making plans."

"Lucas you have to hear the rest." Morgan protested. "According to the law what I did was murder, not self defense."

"No! You had no choice."

"Yes, I did. When I reported Blake to the cops the first time, I could have requested social services place me somewhere else. By not doing that, it was premeditated. They had a copy of my 911 call. And ever since the Legal Reform Act of 2001, anyone over the age of thirteen proven to have committed murder is sentenced to life in prison." It had been a radical act, but necessary at the time because of the rising murder rate. The worst offenders were usually the gang bangers that thought if they were under eighteen they had nothing to fear from the law.

"But that doesn't explain why you said your name was Morgan here at the hospital."

"Anne's horror devastated me and Elise's decision pushed me even further back inside her. I couldn't stop her. When the doctors tried to revive us, Elise refused to surface. I had no choice but to step out and take over. They started asking me questions. They asked so many, I lost track of what they were asking. Before I knew it, I had told them my name was Morgan. It scared me. I had never even told Elise. She thought I was just a voice. You know? Like a gut feeling, telling you what to do in a difficult situation. She was wrong. I had a full fledged personality. That's when I refused to answer any more of their questions. I heard them tell the cops on the other side of the curtain that I had amnesia and a possible psychotic break. The cops asked if I was crazy. The doctors said they would have to run tests."

"If they could prove I'm crazy, I think they would put me away. The only thing worse than being locked up in jail would be locked up in an asylum. I had to stay in control. I couldn't tell them the truth. Elise and I had worked well together in the past. We weren't dysfunctional like everybody thinks of other schizophrenics. Even without Elise, I can go on."

"When did you first remember being separate from Elise?" Lucas asked curious.

"We were eight years old and a UEO official was putting us into a car. It took us to the first foster home."

"What a minute. Who was this UEO official?" Lucas was practically bouncing in excitement. "I've been tracking a UEO connection since the morning you slipped into the coma."

"I don't remember. There was some sort of trial. I was told to talk to a judge. I don't remember what we talked about. It must have had something to do with my being an orphan and foster placement."

"Morgan, the UEO wouldn't have anything to do with a hearing about placing an orphan. Believe me, I've checked out the family law statutes."

"What could it have been about then?"

"I don't know, but I'll keep checking on it. Did you know that your session notes were forwarded to the Department of Justice?"

"They must be trying to make a case against me. I cannot stay then." Morgan started to get out of bed. She was definitely not going to stick around. Flight seemed like the only option right now.

"Morgan you can't leave me here by myself." Lucas implored.

She thought about it for a moment and gave in. "You're almost ready to be sent home anyway. As soon as you're discharged, I'm getting out of here. I don't know what I'm going to do, but I won't stay here and be railroaded."

Lucas suddenly went very still. "Morgan, wait. I have a better idea." Slowly, Lucas started to alter parts of his plan that he had first formed for himself. He didn't want to lose Morgan now that he had found her. There had to be a way to include her. "Do you have any special skills Morgan?"

"Well, I like to tinker with stuff." Morgan admitted.

"What do you mean by 'tinker'?"

"I was really interested in any science projects for Elise that involved taking mechanical things apart."

"How far are along are you in school?" Lucas was distracted by his planning. Morgan could almost see the wheels turning as he plotted their lives.

"I was taking Advance Placement classes and was due to graduate before this happened." She said with a nod to her arm. "Why?"

"Okay, I can work with this." Lucas turned to the computer he had left in Morgan's room and started typing in commands. "Have you been accepted by any colleges?"

"Well, a couple of them sent acceptance letters, but I couldn't afford to go even if they would accept me after this."

"What about scholarships?"

"I was going to apply but it's past the deadlines now."

"Do you have any money of your own?"

"Who do you think I am? No, of course, I don't have any money."

Lucas sighed this might be a bit tougher than he had thought. "If I could get you in, which university do you want to go to?"

Morgan was thinking Lucas had a screw loose. Hadn't he been listening to her at all? *Oh, this is too weird to imagine.* "How about M.I.T.?" Morgan joked.

"Okay, it'll work. There's a scholarship program that I could get you into without a lot of problem." Lucas replied matter-of-factly. He was in the database for new students in a couple of minutes.

"Wait! What are you doing?" Morgan wanted to know.

"I'm getting you out of here and into some place where you'll stay out of trouble for about four years." He continued typing. "Do you have anything against the military?"

"Military?" *What is this kid doing to my life?* "I guess not." In a strange way the disciplined life of the military seemed intriguing.

"I'm arranging for you to go on a full UEO scholarship to M.I.T. Everything; room, board, classes, books will be paid for if your major is engineering. So long as you maintain a 3.8 g.p.a. and agree to sign up for reserve duty while you're there and then follow up with a four year tour of duty with the UEO, it'll work."

He seemed to think it was all going to be so easy. Morgan hated to burst his bubble. "Einstein, do you really think with my history, they'll have me?"

"Damn it. Okay, let me think for a minute."

He pondered the problem for a bit then asked, "The doctors used Smith to fill in your records. Is that your last name?"

"I've never given it much thought." Morgan answered.

"Well, I can't put you in as Elise Hunter or Morgan Smith. They'd be on the watch for either of those names." A minute or two passed. "What about Elise Morgan. It's just different enough that they wouldn't think it's the same person. You'd be hiding in plain sight. In the military they usually use a last name and hardly ever use a first name. You'd still be Morgan to everybody. Would that be okay?"

Morgan thought about it for a while. "What about my past? I'll have to have records in that name."

"No problem. I've created whole files on fictional people and no one has seen through them yet."

"What do you mean?" Morgan wondered.

"As a kid, nobody would do business with me on the 'net. I've created an adult persona to get me into the stock market." At her shocked look, he continued, "My dear old dad patented a program I wrote when I was seven. My father said he wanted to protect me from myself. Most of the money goes into a trust I can't touch until I'm twenty one. It's managed by my father."

Lucas let her in on one of his secrets. "I managed to divert a couple of cents from each dollar into a special account that I do have access to. I decided to invest some of it in stocks. I must be doing something right, no matter what my dad says. Last I checked, I ... well the persona I created, is worth about 4.6 million dollars. The trust my father's controlling is only half that." He grinned wickedly at that moment.

I knew that he enjoyed the challenge of outwitting his father for some of his own money. Even better yet, then proving to himself that he was good enough to do a better job at it than his father.

"I'd give you the money to go to school, but it would show up on the records and there would be even more questions than I can come up with answers for. One of my teachers always said keep it simple or you'll get tripped up in the lies. I usually go one better and just don't talk about it. Silence might be golden but it also means everyone thinks you're harmless. Since I look like a kid but sound like an adult, I don't talk to a lot of people. Most people, when they find out I'm a genius, assume I'm nothing but a brain hooked up to a computer. They never question what's behind my work. They never see me. But you did, Morgan, and for that I'm going to tell you about my plans."

"The reason I asked if you minded being in the military was not just about the scholarship. There's this sub that people are talking about. It's on the drawing boards right now. It's going to be the most modern one of its kind. There's going to be military and science combined. It will enforce the UEO laws about ocean development. That's why the military's going to be included. It's going to be the flagship of the UEO. It will also be a research vessel. They hardly know anything about the ocean and it covers three fourths of the earth. I know the military slot wouldn't be an option for me because I'm so young, but I can get into the science department. I have a couple of ideas that might get enough attention that I would be asked to join regardless of my age. Also, things are not so hot at home. If I can just get my dad fed up enough at me, he'll 'exile' me to the last place on earth I would want to be."

"Daddy, Daddy don't send me to the awful sub." Lucas sounded like a helpless child. Was this the person everyone else saw when they looked at him? He deviousness astonished even me. If he had been in a nurturing home, what would he have accomplished? Was it the adversity that had energized him into doing the things he had done and planned to do? If I closed my eyes, he sounded like an adult. When I opened them, I had to admit that the voice he had slipped into was more in line with how he looked. He was a chameleon. His survival depended on blending in and not attracting attention. If that meant acting his age, he'd do it.

"I'm sure I can get you assigned to the engineering department. By the time you're due to graduate, I'll be ready to put my part of the plan into effect."

"Lucas you'd only be fourteen. They'd never put you on a sub in the first place and secondly whoever is in charge of it wouldn't accept you there."

"They'll have no choice. By the time I'm ready to get sent there, I'll have maneuvered everyone into accepting that this is the only solution."

"Okay, say I go along with this and it works. What are we going to do after we're free of our backgrounds?"

"It will be four more years there for both of us. The tour of duty you'd be on would be that long. I'd turn eighteen and then with my money we could go someplace quiet. I could finance the home of your dreams.

Morgan thought wistfully of her dream home. *I want to have a big home and take care of other kids out there that don't have anywhere else to go.* It was such a simple dream, but meant so much to Morgan.

"I just want a place that is a sanctuary. I want to be able to talk to people without censoring my thoughts. I hate being seen as the child genius. Sometimes I wish I could skip ahead and be eighteen overnight. Once I'm older I won't be a prodigy anymore. The pressure will go away. The world always makes a big fuss over the youngest athlete, musician, whatever. As soon as someone else comes along, younger and smarter, I'll won't be under everyone's microscope."

Morgan considered the implications of what he was proposing. For the first time in a very long time, she began to feel hope. Hope for the future. Hope for a dream and a goal worth working toward. She stared at Lucas as the hope began to take hold of her.

"Okay. Let's do it!"

The tassel kept swinging into my eyes. Eyes that scanned the crowd for a familiar face. I had had a weird feeling for the past two days but had put it down to being nervous about graduation.

*Where was Lucas?*

This was one of the moments we had waited so long for. All of the hard work and planning we had done, so long ago in the hospital, was close to paying off.

I thought back to those last days in the hospital. Lucas and I had, in essence, given birth to a new me. I had watched in amazement as he opened accounts in my new name. Driver's license, school reports, bank account, bills, etc.; all the background that a normal person would have to explain their existence.

He had even deposited a little money into the bank account. He couldn't finance my education directly, but I had to somehow get there from here. I would be leaving with the clothes on my back and nothing else. I didn't mind, since I didn't have much. We had talked it over and I would leave a couple of days before Lucas's discharge, to avert suspicion.

I could still feel the panic that had gripped me the last time I had hugged him. This good-bye was going to have to last us for a long time. I had never wanted to let go. He had come to mean everything to me. He was the brother that I had never had.

Tugging at the stiff robe, I squirmed in my chair to get a better view of the grandstands. The family and visitor section had plenty of blonde teenagers, brothers and sisters of my classmates, but not the one I so desperately wanted to see.

*Where was he?*

The speaker droned on and on about the wonderful futures that were waiting for us. I passed the time watching for him and thinking about how I had come to be here today.

I had arrived at M.I.T. after a roundabout journey from the hospital. Lucas had set up a Western Union money transfer to be picked up with a code word because my id. wasn't ready yet. It had been so funny standing in the grocery store with the hospital sweat suit on and sneakers. I must have looked very suspicious. The clerk had looked me over very carefully when I told him I was Holly Murphy and I was expecting a wire for 2,000 dollars. Lucas had put a password on the money so I didn't need any id. All I had to do was answer the code word 'Einstein' and he had to give it to me.

The cash allowed me to 'lose myself'. I first made a stop at the local department store and got a change of clothes and a backpack. I tucked the money in various placed on me so that even if I was mugged they wouldn't find all of it.

I had walked to the nearest bus station and took the first bus going out of town. The ticket had been one way for California. Just before the third stop in a little town I don't even remember the name of, I tucked my hair under the baseball cap and put on the sunglasses I had purchased. I waited in the truck stop bathroom until the bus had left. I hadn't told Lucas about how I was going to get to school. He would have had a fit if he knew I was planning on hitching. It wasn't the safest thing to do, but I didn't want anyone tracking me down and ruining our plans before they could even begin.

In the diner portion of the truck stop, I chose a booth in the back and waited. I ordered a big lunch so I could linger and watch everyone. One lady looked safe enough. She was sitting at the counter by the cashier. I heard her tell the waitress that she had a haul going to Atlanta. This would work. I had been planning my approach all morning on the bus.

I tugged the brim of the cap down a bit and pushed the sleeves of my shirt above the cast on my arm. I went up to the cashier to pay my bill. I had made sure to get a lot of change from the department store clerk, saying it was for the Laundromat. Slowly, I counted out the money for the bill. I did my best to look helpless and a little afraid.

The waitress asked, "Are you okay, honey?"

Stifling a sob and with a tremor in my voice, I asked, "Do you have the address for the nearest shelter?"

"Oh, honey! What's wrong?" I had the waitress's attention and I could see that the trucker was watching me also.

I hesitantly told my made up tale of an abusive boyfriend that I was trying to runaway from. Playing on their sympathies was making me feel guilty but I knew this was the only way I could get lost. I continued on with my tale explaining that I was trying to get home to my family on the east coast.

The waitress tried to give me back the money for the meal. "You need all they money you have to get there. This is on me."

At this the trucker broke in and said, "I'm going to Atlanta. I'll give you a lift as far as there."

I thanked her and the waitress for being so kind. I made sure that the waitress took the money for the food, since I was going to be getting a ride instead of having to pay for a bus ticket.

We set off and in twenty minutes I knew I had made the right choice. The trucker told me her name was Sarah. She was kind and tried to help me all she could. The miles passed so quickly, that I almost hated to part company with her in Atlanta. She had talked to a friend on the CB to arrange another ride for me. The last I saw of her was as she pulled out of the truck stop. I had promised to wait for her friend there so I could get a ride to New York. After she turned the corner, I called a taxi.

I had written an apology note to Sarah and explained that I couldn't take her up on the ride she had arranged with her friend. I told her everything was going to work out fine and that I appreciated all she had done for me. I had tucked it into the visor knowing that she would find it before she had the chance to worry about me.

In the motel room, I pulled off the cap that I had never removed in Sarah's presence. I had made sure that a grocery store was close by. I was going to hate doing this but it had to be done. Pulling out the scissors and hair dye I had purchased before checking in, I cut my waist length hair into a short shoulder bob. The hair dye was a rinse that would be out by the time I got to school. Looking in the mirror, I hardly recognized myself. Short red hair with a slight curl were what I saw. The weight of the long hair I had had for so many years had hidden the curls. No one had seen me in short hair. I was sure that no one would put it together that I was Morgan Smith/Elise Hunter.

I arranged to take the train to Cambridge Massachusetts. I had settled for arriving on the moving in day and got lost in the general confusion that was on campus. I checked in with my liaison for the scholarship and got everything set up. Lucas had thought of everything. I picked up the key to my room from the advisor and went to go see my new home for the next four years. The computer had already been set up for me. It had been decorated in early college dorm but that wasn't what surprised me the most. Sitting on the bed was a stuffed bear with a tag attached to his collar and a under him a book.

I had walked over and looked at the tag first. 'Einstein' was etched into the silver i.d. plate hanging from collar. Picking it up, I noticed that the book he had been sitting on was a hard cover copy of "The Hobbit" by J.R.R. Tolkien.

Lucas had signed the front cover. "I wish I could be there for your first day of classes. I remember how tough it was for me. I hope the bear and book help. Love, Lucas."

I had sat on the bed, with tears in my eyes. He was so thoughtful. I just hoped I could do my part in his plan.

We had stayed in contact through the 'net. Once a month, he could arrange to call me to see how things were. Several times, I had seen faint bruises on him. He would turn the conversation away from it though no matter how hard I pressed. The frustration and anger I felt towards his father kept getting stronger. If Lucas hadn't made me promise to just let his plan unfold, I would have gone to get him the first time I saw the evidence of more abuse. He had assured me that his father hadn't seriously hurt him before we met and I had accepted his excuses. As the semesters had come and gone though, I suspected there was more going on than Lucas wanted me to know.

It was like an awful conspiracy. He wouldn't talk about his home life and I wouldn't let on how lonely I felt. What good would it have done? He couldn't get away from home and I was busy with classes and reserve duty. Mainly, I had floated through college like I had floated through my foster families. Doing well academically, but I had no social life at all. No friends just acquaintances. These two habits were so ingrained from Elise's past that I didn't change them. They had served well enough in the past. She was still there, I could feel her as a vague presence, but she had never come back from the incident. Not that I missed her, but I didn't have anyone else to talk to.

Between calls from Lucas, I would confide in the bear he had sent me. I told that bear everything that I couldn't tell Lucas without making him feel guilty. It had helped a little but illogically I felt abandoned again.

The years had passed.

I had been so excited last week to call him and tell him I had aced my last final exam.

That joy had been nothing next to what I had felt when he had told me his good news.

He had arranged to participate in a computer seminar hosted this weekend on campus. His father had agreed because it was on a project Lucas was working on for his Ph.D.

I had called just this morning to see if he had checked in for the seminar. I was disappointed when they had said no.

Finally the speaker was done with his speech. I shaded my eyes from the sun and looked around again for Lucas.

Soon it was my section's turn to pass across the stage. We stood and gathered at the foot of the stairs. One by one we were called forward to shake hands with the dean and get our diplomas. Suddenly a wave of nausea swept over me. Dizzy, I clutched at the person in front of me. A cold sweat had broken out all over me. I felt incredibly ill.

*Was it something I ate? No. Then what was happening?*



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For some reason at that moment, I knew I had to find Lucas. I brushed off the concerned hands of the people around me and left without my diploma.

*Let them mail it to me*

I had something more important to do.

Hurrying back to my room, I stripped off the gown and threw it in the corner. Turning on my computer, I made a quick call to the seminar's front desk. A perky grad student answered.

"Has Mr. Wolenczak signed in yet?" I asked.

"No," was the reply, but she went on, "He canceled due to a sudden illness."

*Yeah, I could just guess- it was the Lawrence Wolenczak 24 hour flu bug again.*

Hanging up, I made a quick check to see if Lucas happened to be online. After searching several of the regular chat rooms with no luck, I sent an emergency message to his stock persona. We had arranged it as a back up, if we ever had a life or death emergency.

The next couple of hours were sheer torture. Waves of nausea overtook me at irregular intervals. As a last resort, I called the house. I was glad that Lawrence didn't answer. In my current mood I would have said all the wrong things. I didn't recognize the maid who picked up the call so I decided to be vague.

"Is Lucas in?" I asked. "I'm a friend."

"Young Mr. Wolenczak is in the hospital," she said hesitantly, as if someone else was in the room with her. "He had an accident and broke his arm. He'll be in the hospital for a day or two."

*Yeah right* I thought in disbelief. Tell me another one.

"Oh, too bad," was my nonchalant response. I didn't want the other person to think I was overly concerned. "We were going to work on my computer tonight. Tell him I'll get back to him later. It's no big deal."

I disconnected the call and threw the bedside lamp at the vidscreen. It hit with a resounding crash and a spray of parts and plastic shards. It helped a little, but didn't solve anything.

"Damn it!" I screamed in rage. Now I couldn't call anyone until I got it fixed.

I would never understand why Lucas put up with that monster he had for a father. In my opinion, the mother wasn't any great prize either for ignoring it all.

At least the computer was still intact. I started looking through hospital admission records in Lucas's area. I was no where near as skilled as Lucas, but I had picked up some things over the years.

*Bingo! There it is.*

Hurriedly, I wrote down the address. It was University Medical again.

I started to pack my bag, stuffing is more like it, planning how to get there. At least I could go directly to Lucas, instead of the roundabout way I had left him.

I booked a plane ticket and rental car for when I landed. When the online reservation system said that the soonest I could get out was 10 p.m. the next night, I overrode the usual bickering by typing in that it was a family medical emergency. Wouldn't you know; they had an opening at 3 p.m. today.

I sat through the flight half numb. I knew deep down it had to be worse than a broken arm. I was afraid to find out how much worse. The nausea had stopped thankfully. But it added one more concern to my growing list. If I couldn't 'feel' him, did it mean he was better or worse?

I turned it over in my mind. Over the years I had pieced together that Lucas and I shared a weird connection. Every few months, I would feel lousy a couple of days before his monthly call, which was unusual since I so looked forward to them. Invariably it would be one of the times when I would see bruises on him. This time putting together how badly I felt and that he had been admitted to a hospital , I didn't like the conclusions I was coming to.

After the plane landed and I picked up the car, I set off.

In the parking lot, I planned on how I would get in to see him. It was after visiting hours, but I didn't care. I had to find out how badly he was hurt this time.

I had to hide the dislike I felt when I walked through the entrance doors. In four years, it hadn't changed much, but I had. Quickly, I located the public elevators. I knew that the service ones had to be located nearby. If anyone questioned my presence, I would pretend to be lost.

Getting on the service elevator, I waited until two nurses got on. When they got off and headed down a corridor, I got off too and went the other way.

They hadn't even spared me a glance. Half the trick in blending in was looking like you belonged there. I waited around a corner for the two to leave. I had guessed right, because they were no longer wearing their uniforms. Waiting a little while longer to make sure no one else was inside, I snuck in.

*Perfect* I thought as I saw they had an in-hospital laundry service hamper. Checking a little more, I found some clean scrubs tucked into a closet. I pulled out the scrubs and changed quickly. I left and went back down the hall to the elevators.

I had gotten his room number off the admission record. I just hoped they hadn't moved him. I didn't want to run into anyone in the halls if I had to go searching for Lucas.

There it was. My luck was holding. I pushed open the door. After closing it quietly behind me, I set down my backpack and turned to see how Lucas was.

I could barely suppress the noise that wanted to crawl out of my throat as a full fledged scream.

Not only was his arm broken, he was hooked up to practically every machine they had. Cords, monitors and tubes snaked like a web around his bed. Cocooned in the middle was Lucas. He was so very pale, where he wasn't bruised. The reassuring beep of the heart monitor drew me like a moth. Gently I touched it and then him to make myself believe that he was still alive.

The massive bruising on his face made me imagine all sorts of horrible things. I pulled back the sheet and gasped. I quickly cataloged the damage. Two black eyes, a split lip, the broken arm of, course, and bruising on his torso that pointed to only one thing in my mind.

*Please don't let him die.* I prayed. I couldn't stay by his side like I wanted almost more than anything to do. I was off to hunt and nothing on this earth would stop me before I was done. This couldn't go unpunished.

A low growling rumbled in my throat.

*Lawrence Wolenczak has to die!*

And this time, I would be in full control of myself.

I pulled Einstein out of my pack and tucked him gently beside Lucas. I bent down and kissed Lucas on the forehead, trying to avoid doing anymore hurt.

*Let the hunt begin.*



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Morgan didn't remember the drive to the Wolenczak house. She had memorized the directions years ago. Lucas had been hesitant about telling her, but she had pressed him on the issue until he told her. It was an upper class suburban neighborhood, but there were a couple of cars parked on the street. She parked her car across the street from the front gate and formulated her attack.

The house was dark, but Morgan knew there would be security to override. Starting the car, she pulled around the block and parked in the jogging park behind the Wolenczak property.

After parking the car, Morgan got out and moved to the trunk. The cool and methodical way she moved belied the fire that burned in her eyes. Morgan had grabbed the black duffel along with the backpack on the way out of her dorm room without even realizing it. The backpack and the duffel held everything she would ever need. The backpack had held normal travel items and a change of clothes along with Einstein. The duffel was anything but normal. It especially was going to come in very handy tonight. It held a black outfit and some equipment that would be useful.

Changing her clothes first, she continued refining her plan in her mind. Lastly, she pulled on black leather gloves. Snugging them down to her fingers, Morgan reached into her bag of tricks and came out with a pair of night goggles and mask. The goggles gave everything a greenish cast. But at least she could see now; so making her way through the trees, Morgan came to the fence that marked the end of the jogging path and the beginning of the backyards for the houses. Setting the duffel down beside her, Morgan opened the zipper.

From the time she had received military training she had been preparing the duffel. As her training progressed she added more and more equipment to it. It had been packed and ready to go in the back of her closet for the past year. Something had warned her that someday it might be useful. It was filled with a variety of tools that could get her into or out of practically any situation.

Taking out the wirecutters, Morgan started snipping through the links. On this side of the property, the fence was not electrified. When she had an opening big enough, she slipped inside. Remembering to keep low to avoid being detected by the cameras, Morgan crawled around to the side of the house closest to the trees.

The side door had a dog entrance built into it. It had been installed by the interior decorator Cynthia had hired. The decorator had thought no family could be complete without a pet. Lucas had always wanted a dog, but his father was allergic to them. Fortunately for Morgan, Lawrence had never ordered the door replaced.

She was just slim enough that she could work her shoulders through the opening. Easing the rest of her body though the dog door, Morgan carefully stood up and felt for the security pad beside the kitchen light switch. Entering the code Lucas had given her during on of his calls, Morgan deactivated the alarm. Lucas had once bragged about sneaking out of the house. His father would have been angry if he had found out; so Lucas had overridden the system so it couldn't record his exit or reentry hours later.

Stealthily, she made her way up the stairs like a ghost. It was the first door on the right. Cynthia's was the first on the left. Lucas had told her that his parents had had separate rooms for as long as he could remember. Morgan didn't care one way or the other, but with just one person she knew that she could control the situation.

She floated through the house and noted that for whatever reason they would be alone to have their little talk. An evil grin bloomed on her face.

Morgan carefully opened his door just enough to squeeze through. There he was, on the bed. Sound asleep as if he had nothing in the world to worry about.

*Lucas is in the hospital and this bastard's asleep at home!* raged Morgan.

She knew that if she had a choice she would be holding Lucas's hand right now instead of hunting Lawrence down to see that justice wasn't denied once again. She couldn't allow another episode of abuse. Lucas had to be protected at all costs.

Making her way over to him, Morgan's fury at him grew with every step until it peaked as she reached his side. Looking down at him, Morgan set down her bag, reached into it and pulled out a set of handcuffs and set them on the bedside table. Morgan pulled off the goggles and set them on the table, making sure that her mask remained firmly in place. She stood silently beside the bed as her eyes adjusted to the dimness. Reaching back into the duffel, she next pulled out a knife. The wickedly sharp blade gleamed faintly even in the darkness along its edge as she drew it out of the sheath.

Holding it to his throat, Morgan leaned in closer. The urge to flick her wrist and end Lucas's torment was almost overwhelming. With great force of will, Morgan stayed her hand. She wouldn't kill him in his sleep. That would be too easy. She wanted to know why he had done what he had.

"Wake up, Lawrence," Morgan hissed in his ear.

Her other hand slammed down to cover his mouth. His eyes flashed open and he started to struggle. Confusion and disorientation were obvious in his eyes. He hadn't realized the danger he was in, but self preservation instincts made him fight her. Not moving either of her hands, the one with the knife or the one covering his mouth, made the next maneuver difficult but not impossible. Morgan threw on of her legs over his bucking hips and straddled him, thereby trapping him with her legs.

Done right this could hold anyone no matter what the size of the opponent. However, too many people either settled too high and left the legs free to kick or too low and the person would raise up and throw off the attack. The advantage was the leverage was even better from this angle to press the knife to his throat.

Lawrence couldn't see who was attacking him. The moonlight shone through the french doors, but the figure was dressed all in black and masked. He couldn't even make out the identity of the guy holding him down.

Slowly, Lawrence stopped struggling as he realized that his attacker held a knife on him. The cold razor edge had bitten into his neck. It had sliced in during his struggles and a thin line of blood was welling up over the blade. He could feel the warm wet promise of blood slide down his neck to pool on the pillow.

"Now look what you've made me do," Morgan growled lowly at him. "Promise not to struggle and I'll let you talk." At his slight nod, Morgan removed her hand from his mouth. The knife at his throat didn't move at all.

"The money is in the safe. Just don't hurt me." *Probably just a burglar* he gambled. Money could buy anything in his experience.

"I don't want your blood money. I want answers." Morgan bit out angrily.

"Anything. Jut let me go," he bargained. Thinking the intruder had been sent by a competitor sent in an attempt to commit industrial espionage, the next question threw him for a loop.

"Why did you hurt Lucas?" she asked.

Clearly female now, the higher tones were not muffled to Lawrence's ears. *A woman?!* thought Lawrence.

Struggling earnestly and bucking his hips strongly, he was surprised when he couldn't throw her off. Lawrence wanted to reach up and strangle her but the implacable way she held the knife gave him pause. The frigid tones she spoke in as she held him down had scared Lawrence at first, but he arrogantly assumed that he could outsmart and overpower any female. Grimly he began to realize that his struggles were in vain. His intruder, female though she be, had him well and truly pinned. Realizing that he was helpless, Lawrence began to know true fear.

*Who was she and what did she want?* This and other questions started forming in Lawrence's mind.

"Lucas?" he asked a little shakily. Puzzlement clear in his voice. *Keep her talking* was the most prominent thought he had right now.

"Yes, your son, remember?" Her voice returned to an angry low growl.

"It's none of your business." He responded in an angry hiss.

Lawrence was convinced that he was in the right. She could hear it in his voice. Needing to see his face and especially his eyes, Morgan turned on the bedside lamp with her free hand. Both of them were momentarily blinded as their eyes dilated with the sudden light.

"There is no one in the house." Morgan stated.

"No" he answered. Right away he could see that was the worse response he could have given. The speculative gleam in her eyes warned him that what was going to happen next would not be pleasant.



To Be Continued...