Aberrant: Stargate Universe - Owning Up.. (Really!) [Complete]

[Aradia McConnell]

It had been an eventful week. They'd cooked meals, spent time together, shown Nashi some of the local sites. Aradia had put in more than her share of "impress the boyfriend's mom" hours. But she couldn't say too much around Wakiki without Nashi insisting on knowing what they were talking about, so she still hadn't gotten the opportunity to talk to him about the things she'd wanted to discuss - much less ask him what Nashi thought of her. But now they'd given their goodbye hugs, put her back on the plane to Japan, and picked up their recovery dinner - complete with booze. Now they were back at Waki's apartment, relaxing on the couch with cheap Chinese and cold beer, and she finally had her time.

It's not chicken to ask him the obvious stuff first. It's more like.. a gateway question, really. He's totally expecting it anyway. Gotta be. Might as well ask. It'll start the conversation.

"So.. how'd I do?" She leaned closer and reached over to his bowl, plucking a piece of beef from his stir-fly with her chopsticks and popping it into her mouth. "Did she hate me?"

[z-Wakiki Izumi]

"Kinda," Wakiki said, leaning back in his chair and watching her lips. He wasn't thinking about food or his mom anymore, so when he spoke, he wasn't paying attention to what he said.

"Kinda?" she inquired, her beautiful eyes locking onto his. "What does 'kinda' mean?"

"It means that while you aren't Japanese, you thankfully aren't black either," Wakiki said, his voice mostly casual. "It means that why you are a carny, you're also clearly an important government official, which is huge kudos to your status. Then there's the fact that my mother got the idea in her head that you're rich."

Aradia froze but Wakiki didn't notice. He blithely picked a piece of broccoli out of his bowl and ate it. "Don't hold her lack of understanding about American culture against her. She's been pretty isolationist and anti-American ever since Dad left her. I guess I can't blame her, but it does make some things harder. Like me having an American girlfriend."

[Aradia McConnell]

She was quiet for a long moment, those gorgeous eyes locked with his for a heartbeat or two before she glanced down at her bowl and picked around at her food with the chopsticks, not really making any effort to eat any of it.

"I guess I can't blame her too much for that. I mean, it's kind of crap to blame a whole culture for the failure of your marriage.. but maybe she's not totally off. Either way, I'm sure it's easier than facing the truth."

She paused for a second as the weight of her own words sunk in. She drew in a deep breath, then let it out in an annoyed huff before reaching over and setting her bowl down on the coffee table, still mostly full. She grabbed one of the beers from the chilled six-pack, and twisted the lid off before taking a drink.

"Anyway, that's one of the things I've been needing to talk to you about, and I just haven't had the chance. I don't know how your Mom figured it, but.. well, she's right, babe."

Wakiki blinked at her, looking confused for a minute as he tried to discern what the hell Aradia was talking about, so she went on, her words a rush of information.

"I am rich. Like, fucking stupid rich. I.. I was in contact with Markie. And he gave me some stuff that my grandfather left for me. And.. well, there were all these stocks and paperwork and stuff. So Livy looked up the name of some financial guy and made me take it to them, and apparently it's worth a shit ton of money. Like, I dunno - Oprah Winfrey money, that kind of shit. I don't know how much yet. He's still 'assessing'. He said at least fifty million, probably way more."

[z-Wakiki Izumi]

Wakiki stared at her for a moment, then started laughing. "Oh, Ari, that's great, hon," he told her. "But come on, I know better than that. 'Sides, Livy would have said something. She can't keep a secret for any length of time. Not from me."

Aradia looked bemused and a little irritated. "You know, she's kept her secrets about the SGC better than I have."

Wakiki paused, frowning a little. "You mean..." he licked his lips, leaned toward her and said, "Really?" Aradia nodded. Wakiki sank back against the couch, his mouth hanging open a little. Finally, he asked, "How long have you known?"

[Aradia McConnell]

"A couple weeks, I guess - less than a month. I found out right before our movie night. I shoulda told you then, but.. I dunno, I guess I just wanted a break from the drama. 'Hey, I'm a super-freak. Hey, let's plot to take down Hatchins for being a sick fuck. Hey, Livy's pissed cause she found out you told Vinny.' I guess 'Hey, by the way, I'm a millionaire' seemed a bit much. Like, I know we're not the fuckin' Brady Bunch or anything, but it's something crazy every time we've gotten together, and all I wanted was to spend time with you, and hang out.. you know? Without something to deal with."

She reached up and rubbed the back of her neck nervously. She wasn't quite sure whether to be more worried about his reaction to the actual news, or his reaction to the fact that she waited almost a month to tell him she'd struck green.

[z-Wakiki Izumi]

Wakiki just sat there, blinking at her. "So, um," he finally said, still not moving. "What are you going to do now?"

It seemed like such a dumb question, but her answer would give him information about what his reaction should be. After all, she had the world laid out before her. Now, there really wasn't anything she couldn't do. She was beautiful and rich - and she already had his heart. It might not have meant much to anyone else but it meant the world to him.

A sudden thought struck him and before she could answer him, he added, "Buy your own circus?" The grin that followed let her know that he was teasing but that if she said yes, there would be a lot more teasing to come.

[Aradia McConnell]

"Hah!"

Aradia laughed, half out of amusement and half out of sheer relief that he was making jokes. At least he isn't pissed at me for waiting to tell him. After a moment though, her expression faded into that same expression of annoyance and frustration that he was beginning to recognize as a sign that Ari was thinking about work again.

"I wish. If I tried to leave SGU, the U.S. government would probably freeze my bank accounts up so fast my head would spin. I'd probably have to funnel all my money into secret bank accounts an' shit, and even then with super-nerds like - well, with some of the people they've got like me.. they could probably lock me up no matter what I did."

She ran a hand through her hair with a sigh. All the money in the world, and she couldn't figure out a way to make it buy the one thing she really wanted.. freedom. People smarter than her could probably figure it out, learn how to blackmail the government, discover all their secrets and protect themselves in order to gain some anonymity. But Aradia wasn't even sure where to start. All she knew was what she'd seen in spy movies, and she was pretty sure most of that was a crock of crap.

But after a moment, she tried to force the expression off her face, and smiled a little at him instead, trying to look a little less bitter.

"Maybe I should skip the planet and go start a space circus or somethin'. See if SGU can come track me down then. Course, I wouldn't know which aliens are common, and which go in the freak show. Livy'd be better at telling me that kinda stuff.. but I don't think she'd approve."

[z-Wakiki Izumi]

"Nah, she can be a stick in the mud sometimes," Wakiki said, but he wasn't really thinking about his sister. "The government might have a hold on you now, but its not gonna stay that way." At her look, he said, "Babe, no one can keep you locked up. And if we have to plan a, um... planet-break, we can do it. I mean, I was planning on getting us to Cuba, to get away from the US. But I think that's not going to work."

He needed more information about the aliens. There had to be a race of aliens that would help them get away from the US, if that's what she wanted. I sound fuckin' nuts, he groaned to himself, but that was the reality of the situation and he'd deal with it.

"Anyway, what do you want right now? New car, new house, new island?" he asked with a grin. He chuckled and added, "And you're buying dinner next, just so you know."

[Aradia McConnell]

She grinned softly at his optimism, and let it go for now. She seriously doubted their ability to planet-run away from it all.. as much as she wanted to. And no matter what he said, she was pretty sure it would be harder for Waki than he realized to run away from everything he'd ever known.. his parents, his sister, his music career. That was a lot to ask of someone, and she wasn't sure she could do it to him - not truly.

But she didn't want to think about it right now.. she was riding high with the knowledge that she'd finally been up front with him about the money issue. And he was treating her so much like normal that remembering to mention anything about her physical enhancements just kind of.. slipped her mind.

"Right. Well, then.. I suppose right now.. I want to buy us dinner. And sit and talk with you about what we think I should spend money on. Maybe which island to buy."