Reminder:
"This is spoken English."
"This is spoken Czech."
This is a thought.

Previously: Since Radek didn't tell Anna outright about his relationship with Doctor Weir (since chapter 84), Anna finding out by way of 'gate tech gossip (in chapter 88) was a bit of a disaster. Anna's been spending time with other friends, in part to avoid Radek (since chapter 90). It's pretty much gone downhill from there. Especially since both of them got to make a separate, yet equally… interesting discovery last chapter…

Chapter 92. Critical Mass.

Radek didn't think it was Anna at first. Even though this strange young woman looked just like Anna. She was wearing Anna's clothes. Her hair looked just like Anna's. She was about Anna's height and build, and Anna's locator said she would be in the Jumper Bay. He was in the Jumper Bay, right? Yes, this was a Puddle Jumper.

It was Anna, no doubt about it. So he had only one question…

Why was her face pressed up against the Athosian boy's?

"Radek," she gasped, drawing a hand over her mouth. She looked up at the boy.

Iskaan. His name was Iskaan. He didn't look too predatory, but they never did. Radek was once a seventeen-year-old boy, too. A long time ago. In another galaxy.

"Radek, what are you doing here?"

"I think I could ask you the same thing," he mumbled. He shouldn't have said that. But he didn't remember why he was here.

He was going to offer that Anna could go to the mainland tomorrow, so she wouldn't have to be alone.

Right. That wasn't happening.

Stepping forward, Iskaan held a hand out like he was offering something. His hand was shaking, ever so slightly. "Doctor Zelenka, this isn't—"

"It isn't?" Radek interrupted. "What is it, then?"

He didn't want to know what it wasn't. He barely wanted to know what it was. Most certainly didn't want to know what it could have been had he come in a few minutes later. He only wanted to know that whatever-it-was would never happen again. He took a deep breath to catch back his sudden anger at Iskaan, and looked at Anna.

He felt he'd given Iskaan long enough to answer, though it might have been half a second.

"Anna, there are a few things you need to know before tomorrow…"

Anna nodded slowly, looking confused. "Okay. I'll be there in a minute." Radek watched her glance at Iskaan with the smallest of shrugs as soon as their eyes met.

"No," Radek said. "No, I mean right now."

For a moment, he thought she'd argue. But she didn't. She carefully let go of the boy's hand and walked past him out of the Puddle Jumper. Iskaan watched her go without a word, then looked at Radek. Radek might have been amused at the stunned way he looked at him.

This was not amusing. This was Anna, not some random girl whose illicit tryst he'd walked in on. He rethought that almost immediately. There was nothing illicit here. He wasn't even sure it was some further romantic rendezvous.

It would have been if Iskaan had his way. Radek was sure of that.

Radek wished he'd said something more to Iskaan before leaving, but he was already walking away after Anna. Anna stepped into the transporter before him, turned around, and waited.

He pressed the button for the south-east pier. The doors swept open again.

"I'm not going to apologize," she said, stepping out of the transporter.

All of his self-control expended in not responding to that in a flurry of disdain. He didn't want her to apologize—he wanted her to demonstrate some intelligence. Maybe some thoughtfulness for that poor boy with whom a legitimate relationship could never materialize.

He bit his tongue until they walked into the room.

How should he say this? He'd had nightmares about this. And now it was here. Just like he imagined, he was losing his head. "I don't want an apology," he said slowly. "I want you to think." He cringed slightly at the memory. He swore he'd never ask someone to think again…

His words had exactly the effect he thought they would. Anna spun around, obviously livid. "Think?" she rasped. "You want me to think?"

"We are in another galaxy," he started. Carefully, Radek, he thought. Carefully. "And the Athosians are a very different people than we are."

"What does that mean?" Anna demanded.

Radek realized how intolerant that sounded a moment later. He didn't mean it that way—simply because they were Athosians… More like because they were pre-pre-Industrial? Radek had no idea if that would be a socially acceptable reason. There was no frame of reference for this as far as he knew. He couldn't imagine Anna bringing someone home from a hunter/gatherer society. That's all.

"If you'll give me a chance to speak."

Anna said nothing.

He didn't think she was "too young" to understand these kinds of things. Far from it—she understood perfectly. She just wasn't thinking. That was it. "There are all kinds of diseases around here that can kill you without even looking at you. What sort of diseases do you think you can get with a kiss?" Or more—he was not thinking about this right now…

Anna looked indignant.

Maybe he wasn't giving her enough credit, and she knew what sort of creatures the male of their species was. "And I want you to, please, consider the consequences."

"Consequences?" she repeated.

He just nodded.

Consequences. He knew there was little he could do to stop her from experimenting—as though getting her into another galaxy where precious little opportunity existed wasn't enough. So many consequences, so little time to think of them all…

For a moment, Radek hoped she had a reasonable response to his perfectly legitimate concerns. Because they were perfectly legitimate.

But she didn't say anything. Not for several seconds, anyway, giving him plenty of time to imagine all the other, better ways he could have said what he was thinking.

If he even knew what he was thinking…

#

Anna gave a slow blink. What was she supposed to say? Okay? Give some sort of indication that she agreed—then maybe this discussion would be over and they'd never have to deal with it again. But, no. She couldn't just say okay. It wasn't okay that he had no idea who she was. It wasn't okay that he thought this was something he needed to discuss with her.

Who did he think he was?

"You think I'm so irresponsible?" she found herself hissing instead.

Radek looked blindsided by her reaction. She had the moment of clarity to realize that he had every right to be confused right now. But he didn't—it was his fault he didn't know Anna. Didn't know her at all. Didn't know Anna only wanted to know. Was that so difficult? It was his fault he missed everything.

"No," he said slowly. "No, of course, I don't think you're irresponsible."

"That's right." Anna could probably count on one hand the things Radek knew about her, and all of them were surface. All of them were petty. All of them were things that Anna didn't really care about. "You don't think I'm irresponsible. You don't think I'm anything. What do you know about me?"

He was still confused. He still had no idea what he was supposed to say. But that was his fault, not hers. "I'm just… worried about you. I am your dad, shouldn't I—"

"No!"

That word. What made him think he could use that word to describe their relationship? Anna didn't have a dad. Not really. Just someone who happened to contribute half of her DNA, and make sure she got her homework done. Who wished she wasn't there, never told her anything, and would probably be much happier if she just went back to Earth.

"You don't get to worry about me. You don't know anything about me." She glanced away when she realized how hurt he looked. She looked back after a second.

"Fine," he said quietly in a strangled voice. He took a quick breath, his eyes shifting to focus on some spot between them. "Fine, but I am still responsible for your well-being. I should be concerned."

"Then where were you?" Damnit, she didn't mean to ask that question. Angry tears welled up to Anna's eyes, and she wasn't sure who she was most angry with.

Herself, for even bringing it up.

Radek, for lying to her about Elizabeth, about himself. For showing up exactly when she didn't want him there. For being in another galaxy when she did.

Mom, for dying. For lying about Radek, about herself, about how it would all be okay.

I have bad news, dear. I have cancer. Mom's voice was still strong, then. The doctors think I have only a few months left. Always strong, except for the last two weeks. Then, Mom was so tired, she couldn't even pretend anymore. Not even for Anna.

Anna's first thought wasn't even about her mother, and she'd never felt so ashamed. What will happen to me? The first thought in her head. She didn't say it out loud, but Anna knew. Her mother was dying, and Anna worried about herself.

Why did she have to be so much like Radek?

"Where were you, then?" she asked again, because it didn't matter anymore.

He didn't look like he meant to answer it. Looked positively in shock. "Anna, you know…" His voice was low, so low she almost couldn't hear it over the blood pounding in her ears. "I wish—I wish I had been there. I wish I never left, for god's sake, but it was better that I… "

"You're right," Anna snapped and blinked. Her tears spilled from her eyes. She swiped them away. "It was better. So stop it," Anna said. "Stop pretending you care, or that you know anything. Because you don't. You only know this." Anna looked around the room, pointing outside the window. Atlantis's lights glittered above the water. "And this." Anna picked up the nearest tablet and shoved it at him, complete with an abstract of a problem he'd solved to save Atlantis from destruction.

He caught the tablet, and stared at it. "I'm here now?"

"No." Why was he lying again? Why did everyone lie? "You're not." He wouldn't be here tomorrow. He wouldn't be here the next day. It was safe to say that, on the whole, he'd never be here. "I'm going to the mainland tomorrow with Doctor Adams."

And it didn't matter what happened there.

She ran to her room before he had the chance to answer, locking the door behind her. She leaned back and stared into the dark room. A tiny bit of light showed from beyond the blinds. She blinked the bright lights away, not bothering to rub the tears from her cheeks as she slipped down to the floor.

He could stop her, of course. But he wouldn't. She wasn't going to get into any trouble, though she might have liked to just to spite him.

But she wasn't getting in any trouble. Because she wasn't irresponsible. She was too afraid of what could happen. She was too afraid of all the things she didn't know. All the things on Earth that once seemed terrifyingly huge seemed small and manageable in the face of all the problems a relationship with an alien could introduce to her life.

Too afraid of Iskaan, afraid of getting close, afraid of being too far away.

Afraid of Radek, how he'd see her. What he thought of her.

If he thought of her.

"Máma?" Even if Anna believed in that kind of thing, she was too far away. In another galaxy. But who else was she supposed to talk to? Who else would listen? "I'm sorry."

What did she say to Anna? Just give him a chance, Anna. Give him a chance.

She tried. She really did. She tried for a whole year to give her new life a chance, hadn't she? She tried to remind herself she was alright yesterday and the day before that, but it was all a lie. Was she ever alright? Would she ever be?

Anna almost heard her mother's voice cooing in her ear, but she couldn't make out any words. Would she scold Anna? Had Anna given Radek enough of a chance?

She pulled her knees up, sobbing into her arms even though she knew no one could hear her. Especially not her mother. But this was all she had left, wasn't it? Only Pegasus. Only… nothing. "I want to go home."

A/N: Alright. That's been spring break, everybody. Good times.

Thank yous & etc.

Adela- Haha, I'm glad you liked that. I thought it was fun.

MissMeow1968- Yeah. Let's hope he keeps it on the down low. I suppose we can say he did his best?

Next time: He doesn't know how to fix it.