He stood well back where he could see without being seen, watching impatiently as seaQuest docked at homeport. A few years ago he would have been much closer than he was now, but he no longer had the required security clearance, or any security clearance for that matter. He knew that the man he was looking for would be the last to disembark. Always a stickler for the rules and protocol… Always had been, always would be… he thought disparagingly.

At last his quarry emerged into the sunlight… Captain Nathan Hale Bridger. A moment of uncertainty gripped him as he considered his options. Should he stride right up to him and make himself known? The chance to embarrass the man in front of his entire crew, bring him to his knees, was difficult to pass up. He moved forward and then stopped again, abruptly.

The red-head had come out of nowhere and was running towards him… Another second and she had practically thrown herself at him. He waited for the inevitable moment when Bridger would brush her aside with just a hint of an acknowledgement, but he didn’t. Instead, he pulled the woman into his arms and kissed her soundly.

From where he was standing he could hear the whistles and whoops of the rest of the crew and waited for the explosion, but it didn’t come. The captain turned towards them, called out something he couldn’t quite catch, and then they all laughed and cheered.

A younger man walked up to them, he couldn’t have been much more than a kid, and they separated. The woman holding out her arms to him and receiving a huge bear hug in return. They talked for a few minutes and then his mouth fell open as Bridger put an arm around the boy and held him close. Something indefinable shot through the watcher’s body to be replaced almost immediately, by a surge of anger… The young man retreated to stand with two other crewmembers and Nathan slipped his arm around his companion’s waist, pulling her tightly to his side as they walked towards the parking area.

His well-laid plans were in complete disarray now and he hesitated for a moment before deciding to follow them. Making his way back to his hired car he sat and waited for them to pull out.

He trailed the open sports car at a safe distance, although if he’d travelled up their rear bumper he doubted that they would have noticed. They were too wrapped up in each other, talking animatedly as she tried to concentrate on the flow of traffic. He almost crashed into the vehicle in front when Bridger suddenly threw his head back and laughed heartily. It wasn’t something that he could ever remember seeing or hearing before.

They pulled up outside a beachfront house. Now *that* was something he definitely did expect. Nathan Bridger laughing… Nathan Bridger displaying affection in a public place, not in a million years… but Nathan Bridger living right by the ocean – oh yeah.

He parked discretely and continued in his observations. He had assumed that the woman would drop him off and leave, thereby giving him the opportunity to do what he had to do, but she got out of the car and walked with him to the door. His jaw almost hit the floor when Bridger swept her into his arms and carried her inside.

He’d researched the man thoroughly and knew that he hadn’t remarried after his wife’s death, so this had taken him completely by surprise. He’d thought that he knew everything there was to know about the tough, unfeeling Naval captain… all duty and honour and sacrifice, no matter what the cost, but now…

The couple reappeared several hours later and, much as he tried to deny it, he knew exactly what they had been doing. He felt a shudder of distaste ripple through him at the thought. Another anomaly… That was supposed to be a locked door, night-time activity, if at all… not in the middle of the afternoon.

They were obviously going out to dinner or something. Bridger was dressed smartly but casually, and the woman was wearing a simple halter-neck dress, which accentuated her curves. He studied her closely, well as closely as he could from this distance. She looked a lot younger than Bridger, and he wondered if she was as pretty as he imagined. One thing about Nathan Bridger, he had good taste in women, although a part of him wished fervently that she was only after his money and that the older man was making a complete fool of himself.

He’d managed to get a table in the restaurant, off to the right and out of the couples’ direct line of sight. Again, he realised he could be sitting right beside them for all they’d notice. They were totally absorbed in each other, touching hands constantly when they weren’t eating, and talking almost continuously. Their chairs were suddenly pushed back and they stood, Nathan leading her out onto the dance floor and pulling her tightly to his body as they swayed to the music. His hand sliding down her bare back to rest at the base of her spine before smoothing up to the back of her head and guiding it down onto his shoulder. His cheek rested against hers and his eyes closed as they continued to move as one. A revelation suddenly struck him, shocking him to the core. These two people were in love, head over heels in love. He made a mental note to find out all he could about this mysterious red-haired woman.

Bridger whispered something in her ear and she smiled and whispered back conspiratorially, he saw the captain’s hand tighten its hold for a moment and they made their way back to the table. While she picked up her things Nathan paid the cheque and then led her to the exit. He followed almost immediately and then stood stock-still as Bridger caught her hand and brought her back to him, stroked her cheek and leaned in to kiss her with a passion that, if he hadn’t witnessed it with his own eyes, he would never have believed. A sigh of exasperation escaped him, his confusion growing. ~ Was this the Nathan Bridger he’d hated for so long? ~ Tomorrow he would concentrate on the woman.

Around midday the next day, three people in casual clothing walked up and rang the bell. He recognised them immediately as the young teen who had received so much affection on the dock, and his friends from seaQuest.

They were let in and a few seconds later the red-head appeared in the doorway, wearing jeans, a white t-shirt, sneakers and sunglasses; her hair in a ponytail making her look even younger. He shook his head in disgust as Bridger joined her, pulling her into a hug and kissing her. She threw her bags onto the passenger seat and climbed into the car. This was going to be easier than he’d anticipated.

He followed her into town and around the shops, wondering how he could find out who she was. They’d just exited the department store when a female voice called out to her. “Kristin.”

~ So, that was her Christian name. That was a start. ~  He jumped back quickly as he recognised just who the voice belonged to – Janet Noyce. The last thing he needed was for her to see him.

The two women chatted for a few minutes and then… Kristin… seemed to make her excuses and apologies, waving goodbye to the older woman and walking into the drug store, he followed…

The pharmacist himself came out to greet her. “Dr. Westphalen… to what do we owe the pleasure of this visit?”

She rummaged in her pocket and handed him a prescription, which he passed to one of his assistants. The watcher moved so that he could hear some of the conversation while pretending to browse the shelves. So, she was a medical doctor and also some kind of scientist as well. He edged closer and wasn’t quite quick enough to get out of the way when she turned suddenly and slammed into him, her packages scattering on the floor. Not knowing what else to do he bent down to help her retrieve them.

She looked up at him and his breath caught. He’d suspected that she’d be pretty but he’d had no idea she’d be beautiful. “I’m sorry.” She apologised. “I wasn’t going where I was looking.”

“My fault.” He replied. “Neither was I.” He could see now that she was older than he’d first guessed but that didn’t detract from her over-all appearance. And that soft, sensual voice with its British accent... ~ Maybe he could understand now what had changed Bridger so much from the man he remembered. ~

He reached out to pick up the last packet, colouring when he realised just what he’d gotten hold of. ~ So, she was on birth control… No more surprises in store for him there, then. ~  “ Sorry.” He muttered.

“No problem.” She didn’t appear even slightly embarrassed. Kristin looked into his eyes and there was something familiar about them. “Do I know you?” She asked a puzzled expression creating frown lines on her forehead.

“No. No, you don’t.” He stood and helped her up. “Sorry again.” He bolted for the door before she could pursue the matter. He needed to get back to his hotel room. Needed time to think and decide what his next move should be. This wasn’t going the way he’d planned at all.

Three days later he was again outside the house that Nathan and Kristin shared. He’d heard that the seaQuest was shoving off later that day and he knew that this would be his last chance. They embraced, holding each other tightly before getting into the car.

When they arrived at the dock, most of the crew were already there. He parked in the same spot as before but this time he had a pair of binoculars with him, so he could see more clearly and pick his moment. He was surprised yet again when Bridger allowed the crew to board before him. He knew that, as captain, he liked to be there first to greet them as they embarked, but he was still with Kristin.

He held her close and kissed her once… twice… three times. Even when they separated they still held hands. He could see the tears on the woman’s cheeks as she whispered goodbye and Bridger reached out to wipe them away. He clearly saw the words ‘I love you’ leave the man’s lips. Reluctantly he let go and walked towards his X-O, turning to look at her one last time. The watcher gasped as he realised that there were tears in the captain’s eyes as well.

This definitely wasn’t the man that he remembered. The man he’d schooled himself into despising. The hard exterior had vanished to reveal a caring, feeling human being underneath. He marvelled at the power, the woman seemed to wield over him.

No, he didn’t know this man he realised, and wondered if he ever really had. Had he been too busy trying to follow in his footsteps… trying to be the kind of man he thought he’d wanted him to be? Had he been so lost in resentment when he realised that he couldn’t do it? Didn’t have what it took to be another Nathan Hale Bridger and had taken the easy way out? Ditching his identity card and feigning amnesia when the survivors had been picked up, then slipping away before they could find out who he really was. Not even coming forward when his mother had died.

For an insane moment he had the urge to run to the man standing by the hatchway and beg for forgiveness but, in a second of clarity, he saw the consequences of the action through his father’s eyes and realised how cruel that would be.

These few precious days had been a revelation and he knew that the Nathan Bridger he remembered wasn’t the real one. He’d only ever glimpsed the man behind the uniform and he regretted that now. He’d watched him at his mother’s funeral, seen his distress, but passed it off as an act – something that was expected of him, or an aberration. Now he knew it was real, that his father was capable of so much emotion.

He wondered absently where he had got his own cruel streak from, always having laid the blame at his father’s feet. The often absent father who was never there for his mother. And then he remembered the arguments when he was growing up, conveniently forgotten before… The accusations, the tears and the vicious words his mother had spoken in anger sometimes, and he knew.

His father wasn’t stiff and uncaring. He cared deeply… Deeply enough to stay with Carol and love her, despite everything, until her death. And now he had found happiness at last, a happiness he no longer had the desire to destroy. His father had forged a new life for himself just as he had, and now they were strangers.

When Bridger disappeared inside after another longing glance at Kristin, he put down his binoculars and started the engine. Bob Richardson, once known as Robert Hale Bridger – Bobby to his friends, slipped away from NCQ as quietly as he had come.
 
 

**** The End ****

I need... I want...
I care... I weep...
I ache... I am...
I said, I am
   ~ Neil Diamond