Interning on the Aronnax

Okay

A/N: Apologies to anyone who's review hasn't been responded to. I'm having a hard time getting decent responses put together... :P

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

Fontaine gaped at Nereus. "You can't... you mean..." She looked at Finn. "Did you know?"

"No!" Finn shook his head. "I didn't..." He looked at Nereus. "Are you sure?"

"Your family can trace right back to Atlantean civilizations on your mother's side," Nereus said. "Your father's side is trickier, but, yes. I am sure."

At a loss for words, Finn shook his head. It wasn't every day you found out you were descended from an ancient civilization. Did that change anything? Nereus had acted like it did, but Finn didn't really think so.

He wondered if his mom had known...

"Fontaine!" came Will's voice. "Nereus?"

Finn clapped his hands over his mouth. Fontaine's eyes shot wide open. Will was just around the corner!

Nereus calmly walked out of sight. "Ah, William, I was just coming to find you!"

"Can it wait? I need to find Fontaine."

Fontaine frantically waved at Finn, then pointed down the hall. Finn nodded and sprinted away. He rounded the corner, found a vent, and scrambled into the ducts. It was a good thing he only wore socks, or else Will definitely would have heard him.

Finn laid on his stomach, trying to calm his breathing and racing heart. That had been close!

"Hey, Dad," Fontaine said.

Luckily for Fontaine and Finn, there was good reason for Fontaine's voice to be a bit off. She had just learned she was "cursed," after all.

Finn rose to his hands and knees to head back to the hideout and wait, but stopped.

Why was he still hiding? He and Fontaine were both ready for the rest of the Nekton family to know about him.

Nereus' worries seemed pointless, too. Once the Nektons knew about Finn's heritage, they could just keep the Guardians away from him, right?

Finn crawled back to the vent and opened it. He landed lightly on the floor and crept back to the corner. As he did, he heard Will's voice.

"Until the two weeks is over, either your mom or I will be with you on missions."

Finn frowned. What?

"Okay," Fontaine said.

"And in between missions," Will went on, "You are to stay with one of us."

"What?"

"As long as one of us are nearby, then nothing can happen."

Nothing could... right, the curse! Will didn't want Fontaine to be stolen by the "spirit."

Well, that was silly. Finn wasn't a spirit and he sure didn't know how to curse someone.

Finn knew Fontaine wouldn't last two weeks with no privacy. Sure, Fontaine was pretty social and liked to hang out with Finn, but for two weeks? She sometimes needed space, and having her parents hovering over everything she did would drive her up the wall.

Finn waited for Fontaine's protest. He wouldn't blame her if she told Will about him right then. In fact, he kind of hoped she would.

Finally, Fontaine inhaled. Finn leaned closer, ready to step into view as soon as Fontaine voiced her first complaint. He was ready to speak, ready to stop hiding.

"Okay."

Nothing else. No protest or reveals. Just a single, resigned, "okay."

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

A/N: Chapters are going to be real jumpy for a bit, as a week of nothing really happening needs to pass. I'm just going to do a drabble for each day (Interning time, not real life).