We Regret To Inform You...

By Mara

Disclaimer: I don't own them. I do own all the previous stories in this series. I also own Berti Tabern, Kelly Mitkal and Leslie Halder.
Note: This is an AU second season. Katie, Kristen, and Ben never left. The first seaQuest was never destroyed. The episode Higher Power/Ocean On Fire never happened. None of the Eps. after 'Last Lap Of Luxury' happened. Coral Ridge Women's Penitentuary is not real. It is a figment of my warped imagination.

This is a direct sequel to my fic 'Dear Mother'. It starts during Part Five of 'Family' and ends the day after 'Family' ends.



We Regret To Inform You...
By Mara

Cynthia Wolonczak was starting to get worried. She had been being glared at by the other inmates at Coral Ridge Penitentuary almost all the time. But they couldn't know about Lucas! They couldn't! Here at the prison they only got their messages once a week and she had just recieved one from her son. She was looking at the message -

Mother,
Like I have said many times before, I love you and I always will. But each time you send me another note you hurt me more. I don't understand. Why? If you can't apoligize or you really don't know what you did, then at least be civil. I want to talk to you, but if you keep doing this to me I won't. I have just about given up hope of ever seeing a friendly note from you. I want to be proved wrong about that. Please.
Love,
Lucas Bridger

Cynthia was furious. He still refused to apoligize for his comments about her. "Of all the ungrateful..."

Cynthia noticed a shodow fall across the screen. She turned and saw one of the other inmates, Leslie Halder, standing over her. Leslie was in for shooting her husband after the man was caught in an indecent act with their daughter's babysitter.

"What can I do for you, Leslie?" Cynthia said with fained nicety.

Leslie glared. "What's the note about, Cynthia?"

Cynthia smiled. "My son is unbalanced. He was in a hospital for it when he was younger but we didn't have the heart to send him to another one when he got sick again. That's all."

Leslie shook her head. "We know, Wolonczak. We know all about what you did. What you let your husband do. Berti wants to hurt you. So do I." With that Leslie turned and walked off.

Cynthia sighed shakily and sent a response to her son's e-mail.

Lucas,
Why can't you just admit you are the one who is wrong? I never hurt you. Your father hit you. I didn't. Why do you have to keep lying? I don't see why that captain wants a liar like you. You truely are a worthless brat. You don't deserve having me for a mother. I hope the captain realizes what a mistake he made adopting a worthless liar like you and he gets rid of you.
Sincerely,
Cynthia Wolonczak

She pushed send message and sat back smiling to herself. She saw the shadows fall across her and tensed. As she turned she felt the fist connect with her face. When her eyes focused she saw who her attackers were. Berti Tabern, Leslie Halder and Kelly Mitkal. "What are you doing?"

Berti glared down at her. "You thought you could hide it? Hide that you hurt your own child? Well you couldn't! You B****! How dare you think it's alright to treat an innocent child like that. And a child like yours at that! Yeah we checked. Your son is a genius! And you hurt him. I hope you rot in hell!" The last thing Cynthia ever saw was a pipe headed straight for her head.

------

Lucas Bridger woke up feeling pretty good. Last night he had stayed up late celebrating with the senior staff. Actually they had had two things to celebrate.

First, the adoption being approved a little over a week ago. And second, Nathan and Kristen's engagement.

Lucas was thrilled. Not only did he know have the Dad he always wanted, but he was going to have the Mom he always wanted. As he sat up he saw 'New Message' flashing across his screen. He groaned and hoped it wasn't from his real mother.

After her last message he had been so upset he had accidently cut his hand fairly badly. He opened the message and let out a strangled cry. The message began -

Coral Ridge Women's Penitentuary
Dear Lucas Bridger,
We regret to inform you...

Lucas didn't have to read the rest. He knew. Those words told him what the letter was about. He heard Nathan come in and sit down next to him. After a second he heard Nathan gasp. Then Lucas felt Nathan pulling him to his feet and leading him over to his bed. Nathan sat down and pulled Lucas down with him. He gently wrapped his arms around the teen and held him while the tears fell down the boy's face.

"She's dead. I hated what she did to me. But I didn't want her to die!" Lucas whispered his voice rising in pain.

Nathan just held him and let the tears fall. Lucas was in too much pain to listen to anything Nathan said, and Nathan knew that. So he just held the boy. Hoping that the teen would be alright. Hoping this wouldn't ruin all the progress Lucas had made.

Lucas' tears kept falling for almost three hours.

Finally the boy fell into a restless sleep.

Nathan gently shifted and layed Lucas down onto the bed. When the teen let out a whimper Nathan sighed and layed down next to Lucas, wrapping his arms around the boy. Lucas let out a contented sigh and Nathan sighed himself and rested his cheek against Lucas' blonde hair. "I love you kiddo." He whispered softly.

After a moment Lucas whispered back, "I love you, too, Dad."

Nathan smiled and kissed the top of Lucas' head. That word told him things might just be alright.



The End

Well, there's the sequel to 'Dear Mother'. What do you think? I wrote this after I got an e-mail asking for it. The next one's called 'The Shadow Within'. Lucas begins to wonder if it was his fault that Cynthia died.