Reminder:
"This is spoken English."
"This is spoken Czech."
This is a thought.
To linda: Thank you so much for reading and leaving a review! I'm very glad to hear that you like my take on Radek and Rodney and also that you like Anna. I've tried to keep her development as realistic I could, but she's certainly in for some rather... unique experiences. ;) All that to say, I hope she continues to meet approval as she goes on her adventures.
Chapter 8. Shopping.
"Anna," Radek said. He touched her elbow to guide her to the door, but she shied away. No matter, he decided. "This is Doctor Elizabeth Weir. She's been my boss for the last year." Sort of. No need to get complicated.
She nodded, and looked at Weir.
Elizabeth smiled back. "Nice to meet you, Anna."
"It's nice to meet you, too," Anna said.
Radek had noticed Weir looked pretty down and invited her to go shopping with them. Of course, it was nice she had a car. It was also nice she was a woman. Radek didn't understand what could possibly be so complicated about clothes shopping, but he'd apparently never mastered the finer points.
"I hope you don't mind, but your dad invited me to go to the mall with you," Weir went on.
Anna looked to Radek, probably because her phrasing and tone was a little strange. It was one oddity about Weir, that she said almost everything like a question. It was endearing after a while, but irritating when English wasn't one's first language.
Or maybe it was just endearing all the time.
"Don't women like to get opinions on the clothes they're trying?" Radek asked. "I have no sense of aesthetics." When Anna grinned in response, Radek felt accomplished.
Weir laughed and said, "I can't argue with that." She walked out of the complex toward her vehicle, Radek and Anna following a step behind.
Weir didn't say anything else. Radek had told her to please avoid any conversations regarding Atlantis. If Weir was surprised, she did a good job hiding it. According to Rodney, she'd already approved the new quarters. He hoped she wouldn't be disappointed when they didn't come back.
"Radek says you play violin," Weir said when they had settled in her car. The closest shopping mall was several miles away. The snow piled up on the side of the roads, melting under the warm sun.
"Yes," Anna said. "Only for fun now. I don't think I will join orchestra here."
"You don't?" Radek asked. He glanced at Elizabeth. She still didn't show any signs of surprise that Anna was oblivious to Atlantis. There were no orchestras on Atlantis. "You don't have to," he added. "You can do whatever you want." He couldn't think of anything to say that wasn't unbearably awkward.
"What's your favorite song to play?" Elizabeth asked.
Elizabeth, on the other hand, was pretty good at this, Radek thought. He typically got tongue-tied trying to keep a conversation going.
Anna smiled. "I like classical pieces, but for my birthday Radek sent the Fellowship of the Ring music book." She looked thoughtful in the rear-view mirror. Radek wondered if she remembered him reading her bits of Pán Prstenů * when she was small. Come to think of it, she usually fell asleep in the middle of it. "I play 'Concerning Hobbits' a lot."
Radek picked the book out for her a few years ago, after the film came as an international success. He remembered it now that she mentioned it. Didn't remember that before, though. No wonder he wasn't very good at this.
And he didn't miss that she'd called him by his first name. He supposed he might have to get used to that…
"I saw the movie," Elizabeth said. "I don't know the songs, though." Anna whistled it for her, and Elizabeth nodded enthusiastically. "I do know that one. I'll bet it sounds lovely."
"I like songs from film and television."
"I would like to hear you play sometime," Elizabeth said.
Radek nodded his agreement. He would like to hear her play everything he ever missed. But, he guessed, that would be one ridiculously long concert. But, if Anna had it to decide, he had probably missed all of them… except for the private concert wherein "Concerning Hobbits" would be performed.
That was alright.
The mall was large and set back into a hill that had to be dug out to accommodate it. They stopped to admire Pikes Peak before going inside. Radek double-checked for his wallet. This was going to be expensive.
He followed Anna into a section of the store he never cared to be before. He took a few minutes to inspect a navy blue shirt that was missing half of it. Trying to figure out which half was missing, exactly, he pulled the hanger off its perch.
"Nice," Anna said approvingly. She pulled on the corner of the hanger to see what the front looked like.
"Lovely color," Elizabeth agreed.
"Really?" He let go of it when Anna took a hold of the hanger to hold it up. "I think it's missing something, miláčku." Two days of being a father and he was already breaking all the rules he'd made for himself. He couldn't walk into her life and tell her what not to wear, just like that, could he?
Yes. Yes, he could.
Anna held the shirt up the way it was supposed to be worn. The entire back of it appeared to be missing. "Don't… Nebuďte blahosklonný." ** She glanced at Weir. "I don't know the word."
"Condescending," Radek helped. A word he had to know pretty well, working with Rodney. "And I'm not. I'm just—"
"How about this one?" Elizabeth approached with a silky shirt in a different blue. The only thing Radek noticed about it was the obscene amount of fabric around the neck.
"I like this." Anna hung up the navy blue shirt and held up Elizabeth's.
"I can't believe cowl necks have come back." Elizabeth smiled at Radek.
Radek held his hands up. "I don't understand."
"That's okay," Anna said. "Leave it to the girls." She smiled at Elizabeth.
Radek's heart soared to see her smile and left them to it. He wandered the racks of clothes while he listened to them debate colors, fabrics, and styles. He was no judge of anything involving social circles, but they seemed to get along very well.
Even though Anna's English wasn't fantastic, it was good enough for most purposes. Elizabeth was the perfect partner for her to practice with, too. She was patient and pretty good at guessing the word that Anna was looking for before Radek ever had a chance to step in with a translation. It seemed she knew more Czech words than she ever let on.
He paused for a full minute in front of a prom dress.
He wasn't ready for this.
"Radek, we're going to look at shoes," Elizabeth said, approaching with Anna.
"Is this okay?" Anna asked. She showed him her selections. Five shirts, including the two blue shirts, three pairs of pants, and assorted jewelry.
Despite his qualms, he nodded. He still had to get through the shoes. "Yes, that's fine."
"Good. Thank you." Anna slung the shirts, pants, and necklaces over her arm and walked off toward the shoes.
Radek followed, Elizabeth falling in step next to him.
"You know," she said with a friendly pat on his shoulder. "I think you're going to do just fine."
He couldn't help a smile. He looked at her. Had to make sure she wasn't joking. "You think so?"
"Yes." She laughed. "I think you're going to be good at this."
"I wish I could be so sure," Radek said. "I don't know what she thinks of me." He stopped at the end of an aisle where Anna knelt to look at a pair of boots. "I don't have a right to expect much thought."
"Radek," Elizabeth scolded. "Don't be ridiculous. Just give her some time and you some credit."
He nodded. Time. He didn't know about the credit, but time would definitely do something. He didn't know what.
"Radek?" she said. "I hope you don't mind my asking, but you haven't told her about Atlantis yet."
Radek paled. "You didn't say anything?"
"No, of course not." Elizabeth glanced toward Anna. She was still looking at shoes at the other end of the aisle, but Elizabeth dropped her voice low anyway. "But I was under the impression that you were going to take her with you to live on Atlantis."
"It's a ridiculous idea," Radek said. "It is incredibly dangerous."
"I can't argue with you there," Elizabeth said with a slight smile. "But…"
"But really no safer than Earth?" Radek asked. "That's what Rodney said."
"Oh, no." Elizabeth laughed as though that was among the most outrageous things she ever heard. "No, I wasn't going to say that. That's crazy."
"Well, I agree," Radek said. The universe itself was a dangerous place. And maybe Earth just seemed safe because it was familiar. The bad things that happened here were mostly designed by other human beings.
The worst things, by human beings like him… which in itself was terrifying.
Maybe Atlantis was safer. Fewer people.
Elizabeth said, "I was going to say you will be greatly missed."
"And I will miss Atlantis." And everything else. He was pretty sure he'd even miss Rodney.
It was only a matter of time before two pairs of shoes were added to purchase and they stood outside in the mall's main boulevard. Radek looked at Elizabeth and Anna. He didn't know about them, but shopping apparently made him pretty hungry.
"What do you say to lunch?" Radek asked.
"The food court is just that way," Elizabeth said, pointing. "Plenty of options."
"I'm hungry," Anna said.
The food court was a bustle of activity at this time, only thirty minutes before noon. Anna decided on Chick-fil-A pretty quickly. Radek had never eaten there, so he decided to try it. He liked chicken. He liked anything that wasn't military rations… or Jell-o.
Elizabeth looked at the menu, frowned, and shook her head. "I'm going to look around," she said as Radek handed cash to the order taker. She started a circular path around the food court.
"I will find a seat," Anna offered. She went off without a by-your-leave.
Radek didn't know why he was so nervous, but he kept one eye on her while he waited for their food. Their food came up quickly enough, and Radek took a chair at the table that Anna dropped her things at. She swiped a few crumbs from the table top.
"Thank you," she said.
"You're welcome," Radek answered. "Here's your sandwich."
Anna took the sandwich and unwrapped it. "Where were you?" she asked suddenly. "While you were away?"
He glanced at her, then toward where he'd seen Elizabeth last. Elizabeth was wandering around, looking for something suitable. Still. It was food, not military rations, not alien, and that was good enough for Radek.
"I told you I was working," he said. He opened his box of chicken nuggets.
"I know," she said quietly. "Where?"
"Why are you asking this now?" he asked, trying to come up with a reasonable answer. Ah-ha.
"Because I want to know."
The American military personnel had the luxury of top secret operations in obscure areas of the globe. Czech physicists didn't. "Antarctica," he said. That was the farthest away place he could think of where it might be a little reasonable to think that he couldn't be reached for four months. It wasn't perfect, but it wasn't awful either.
She leaned back in her chair, arms crossed. "You're lying."
He turned toward her, suddenly indignant. Yes, he was, but she could not possibly know that. "Excuse me?"
She shifted uncomfortably, her fingers gripping her arms. She took a deep breath and said, "You heard me. You're lying."
Radek didn't trust his ability to continue lying, so he decided not to try. "Where was I, then?"
"If I knew, I wouldn't ask," Anna answered.
They both glanced at Weir as she sat down at their table with Chinese food. She smiled, her eyes dancing between them. "I'm sorry, am I interrupting?"
"Of course not," Radek said, thankful that they could at least continue this conversation later. Preferably after he'd had significant time to think.
"I want to know," Anna continued.
"Don't be rude, Anna," Radek said sternly.
"You lied to me," Anna retorted.
Radek responded by handing her the last of his Chick-fil-A nuggets. "We will talk about this later," he said, and looked at Elizabeth. "I am sorry."
"Oh, no, it's fine." Elizabeth smiled at him and opened the lid on her meal. It smelled like cashew chicken. "I like listening, even if I don't understand."
That was very like her, Radek decided, but Anna was still… He didn't know what to think. He smiled back at Elizabeth. Then he had a thought.
He looked at Anna. "You didn't talk to Rodney, did you? Doctor McKay?"
She shrugged.
Damnit. Rodney putting his nose where it didn't belong. He should have guessed. "We will talk later."
Anna nodded, staring at her waffle fries.
Radek looked at Weir and half-smiled. "Thank you for bringing us, Elizabeth."
She nodded as she cracked open her fortune cookie. "My favorite part about eating Chinese food." She unfolded her fortune. "No distance is too far if two hearts are tied together." She smiled sadly and handed it to Radek.
He took it. "That is very nice." Still, he doubted it very much. Distance in a single dimension, maybe. Add seven years' distance at a galaxy apart and it was easy for hearts to become untied. It was easy enough when two hearts lived in the same house…
"Just difficult to tell when two hearts are tied together," Elizabeth said quietly. She picked up her chopsticks and started eating.
He kept his eyes on the paper, nodding, hearing the heartbreak in her voice. He knew she was going to visit Simon… it must not have gone well.
"But thank you for inviting me along," she said.
"Thank you for volunteering your car," Radek said.
"I was happy to get out," Elizabeth said. "It's been a long few days."
Radek nodded knowingly. It really had been. Long and stressful. Probably for all of them. "Did you find everything you wanted, Anna? At least for a few days?"
"Yes, thank you," Anna said. She sighed and leaned over the arm of her chair to look at the bags of clothing. "Thank you for taking us, Elizabeth."
"You're very welcome. Anytime."
Czech Things
* Lord of the Rings
** Nebuďte blahosklonný = Don't be condescending.
