[That little smile makes Riley's heart soar. He turns slightly to intercept the kiss straight on, and reaches with his free hand to gently cup Ferran's neck to hold him there for a perfect little moment.
And, of course, not a second later, Shaun arrives.
Zetta stops pacing, her entire posture going stiff, the way it always does when she sees him for the first time of the day. She doesn't miss the way Shaun's eyes are immediately on Riley, but barely for a moment before he's looking to Ferran, then Zetta.] And here I had been wondering if you'd come today, [he jokes with a slight smile.
Zetta, however, scowls.] As if we wouldn't. [Even so, she sounds almost angry. It's so her that Riley can feel him returning to himself a little bit. Leave it to Zetta to say something like that as if it's a bad thing, somehow.
But Shaun's questioning eyes are on Riley again, and Riley is having trouble breathing again. Zetta intercepts, finally moving into the room proper, arms folded across her chest.] Yeah. We need to talk about this.
Indeed, [Shaun agrees, voice level but a notch quieter and almost stern. Riley thinks he has Zetta's eyes, her jawline.]
But Zetta steps up to Riley's other side before he can say anything.] Before you start, yes, it's him. The man Kellogg killed was a lookalike. Some shadowy group swapped him out, took him to the coast for some genetic bullshit.
We found hints of what happened in a terminal that Zetta hacked and we had to follow up on it. Any chance he might be alive...well, you can imagine the dedication with which we pursued this. That's why we haven't been back lately. I hope this makes up for our absence, however.
And what purpose would it serve? What rational motive could we have for such a deception? I, in particular, stand only to lose. If you accept that he's your biological father, I run the risk of you rejecting me as your father.
[Ferran will try to throw logic and self-interest at Shaun and see if it works. If Shaun will accept that this really is Riley, he'll likely accept the rest of it, too. As Zetta said, there aren't any better explanations to account for Riley returning from the dead.]
[That does seem to give Shaun pause. He looks at the way Zetta is hovering protectively over Riley, and the way Riley and Ferran are holding hands. At the tense mix of worry and hope on Riley's face. Thinks about the last moment of the kiss he saw, the looks on their faces. About Zetta's agitation, Ferran's exposed insecurity.
... in the end, he inclines his head in acceptance.] Yes... Yes, of course. It may be difficult to believe, but then, it was difficult to believe your child is now an old man.
We may have to do at least that much. You'll have to forgive me.
No, it's okay, [Riley says quietly, speaking for the first time.] I understand. I do. This is... This isn't easy. [Part of him wants to leap from the chair and rush forward to touch Shaun, to convince himself that he really is right there. Part of him doesn't want to move at all, doesn't want to let go of Ferran, is petrified, afraid of moving in case he scares Shaun away.
Could we go somewhere more private and talk for a while before you start poking Riley with needles? Zetta may start blowing things up if you don't attempt to bond soon.
Also, it's making Riley sad, which is just unacceptable. [He squeezes Riley's knee.]
Somewhere more private than my private quarters? [Shaun sounds amused.]
That's not the point, [Zetta finally loses her temper, and she snaps.] This is your fucking father --
[Riley reaches up for her, and ends up snagging the elbow of her sleeve.] Hey. It's okay, I mean it. And it can wait until we have the test done. I know it'd feel weird to try to make a connection with someone you can't entirely believe.
[Shaun bows his head in appreciation. His voice is gentle and patient.] I believe that you believe it's him. But you have to admit there is always the possibility you were tricked.
[Ferran decides not to mention that for the private quarters of the Director the Institute, they're remarkably insecure. Anyone could waltz right in. But the whole Institute is like that. Hardly a locked door in the place. It's a society that trusts each other as much as it distrusts the outside world. Finding a place that's Ferran's idea of private--hidden, locked up, secret--isn't going to happen here.
He decides instead to focus on Shaun's theory that they might have been tricked.]
Possible, but unlikely. Zetta and I are deeply suspicious by nature. We did consider the potential for trickery, and dismissed it based on the evidence we had.
[Ferran stands and waits for Riley to rise, too, taking his hand. Seeing Riley so unsure and mournful makes him want to eliminate whatever's hurting him. But it's not so simple as that right now. Right now the fastest way to end Riley's grief is to take whatever tests Shaun requires.]
[Riley threads his fingers with Ferran and grips tight-tight-tight. What he wants to do is press his face into Ferran's hair, but he can't let himself do that right now. Right now, they need to walk, and Zetta is looping her arms around his free one and he's so grateful to have them. It makes it a little easier to breathe as they follow Shaun through hallways that aren't as brightly lit as his room, as the ones leading to it, as the big open space where people celebrated his birthday.
It doesn't occur to Riley until they reach the lab that Shaun is trying to minimize the number of people who see him. The only person who does is the lab tech who takes his sample. While they wait for the test to be complete, Riley presses himself up against Ferran and Zetta in one of those dark hallways, heart pounding in his chest.
But eventually, Shaun rejoins them, looking... overly composed. Zetta watches him carefully, and decides it's because he's shaken as he takes a moment before he speaks. After he steels himself, he looks Riley directly in the eyes and says,] It is... an unexpected honor, Father.
[Riley can't take it any more. For the first time, he lets go of Zetta and Ferran, stepping forward, arms reaching out to wrap around Shaun. Shaun hesitates, clearly surprised and still trying to process this, but when he notices Riley's trembling, he slowly settles his arms around him and returns the hug.]
[Ferran watches closely, ready to distract, to step in, to smooth things over subtly if Shaun's reticence should make Riley feel rejected. But so far the reunion is going about as well as can be hoped. Awkward and uncertain, yes, but that was inevitable. But Shaun called Riley father, and Riley gets to hold the son who had been torn from his arms.]
[Zetta doesn't need to see Riley's face -- she knows how he's feeling. That isn't her concern. What's surprising her is Shaun. He's the one facing them, and this is the most openly emotional she thinks she's seen him. She doesn't know how to describe the emotion on his face, but it's almost pained, almost heartbreak.
This is her family, but it makes her feel like she's an intruder, anyway. She looks away and to Ferran.]
[Ferran takes the kick with a stoic smile, satisfied at having provoked it because driving Zetta to violence is a win in the strange private game he plays.]
[Riley is finally letting go of Shaun, and Zetta turns her sulking attention away from Ferran. It means she sees the faint tear tracks on Riley's face, and her heart twists. But at the same time, he's smiling, uncontrollably so. He doesn't actually break contact with Shaun, leaving a hand on his shoulder. Shaun has returned to his usual mild, stoic expression, and Zetta takes it to mean it's time to get back to it.]
Now can we go somewhere and talk like a normal fucking family?
[Shaun's lips twitch up slightly.] Yes, of course.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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Bloody hell, how are you real.
[He leans forward to press a gentle kiss on the corner of Riley's mouth.]
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And, of course, not a second later, Shaun arrives.
Zetta stops pacing, her entire posture going stiff, the way it always does when she sees him for the first time of the day. She doesn't miss the way Shaun's eyes are immediately on Riley, but barely for a moment before he's looking to Ferran, then Zetta.] And here I had been wondering if you'd come today, [he jokes with a slight smile.
Zetta, however, scowls.] As if we wouldn't. [Even so, she sounds almost angry. It's so her that Riley can feel him returning to himself a little bit. Leave it to Zetta to say something like that as if it's a bad thing, somehow.
But Shaun's questioning eyes are on Riley again, and Riley is having trouble breathing again. Zetta intercepts, finally moving into the room proper, arms folded across her chest.] Yeah. We need to talk about this.
Indeed, [Shaun agrees, voice level but a notch quieter and almost stern. Riley thinks he has Zetta's eyes, her jawline.]
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Shaun, this is your father.
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But Zetta steps up to Riley's other side before he can say anything.] Before you start, yes, it's him. The man Kellogg killed was a lookalike. Some shadowy group swapped him out, took him to the coast for some genetic bullshit.
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Riley reaches for Ferran's hand on his knee to grip it tight.
Zetta scowls.] What the fuck else do you think this could be? Do you think we snuck in and made a synth behind your back?
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[Ferran will try to throw logic and self-interest at Shaun and see if it works. If Shaun will accept that this really is Riley, he'll likely accept the rest of it, too. As Zetta said, there aren't any better explanations to account for Riley returning from the dead.]
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... in the end, he inclines his head in acceptance.] Yes... Yes, of course. It may be difficult to believe, but then, it was difficult to believe your child is now an old man.
[Riley's heart leaps up into his throat.]
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[He raises an eyebrow slightly.]
If you want to run any tests to dispel remaining doubts, I'm sure we could oblige. But this is Riley. Zetta and I have no doubts about that.
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No, it's okay, [Riley says quietly, speaking for the first time.] I understand. I do. This is... This isn't easy. [Part of him wants to leap from the chair and rush forward to touch Shaun, to convince himself that he really is right there. Part of him doesn't want to move at all, doesn't want to let go of Ferran, is petrified, afraid of moving in case he scares Shaun away.
Zetta, though, is making an exasperated noise.]
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Also, it's making Riley sad, which is just unacceptable. [He squeezes Riley's knee.]
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That's not the point, [Zetta finally loses her temper, and she snaps.] This is your fucking father --
[Riley reaches up for her, and ends up snagging the elbow of her sleeve.] Hey. It's okay, I mean it. And it can wait until we have the test done. I know it'd feel weird to try to make a connection with someone you can't entirely believe.
[Shaun bows his head in appreciation. His voice is gentle and patient.] I believe that you believe it's him. But you have to admit there is always the possibility you were tricked.
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He decides instead to focus on Shaun's theory that they might have been tricked.]
Possible, but unlikely. Zetta and I are deeply suspicious by nature. We did consider the potential for trickery, and dismissed it based on the evidence we had.
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If we're going to do this, let's do this, [Zetta snaps again.] Let's just get it over with so we can move on. [And minimize Riley's heartache.
Shaun gestures with an arm.] Please, follow me.
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It doesn't occur to Riley until they reach the lab that Shaun is trying to minimize the number of people who see him. The only person who does is the lab tech who takes his sample. While they wait for the test to be complete, Riley presses himself up against Ferran and Zetta in one of those dark hallways, heart pounding in his chest.
But eventually, Shaun rejoins them, looking... overly composed. Zetta watches him carefully, and decides it's because he's shaken as he takes a moment before he speaks. After he steels himself, he looks Riley directly in the eyes and says,] It is... an unexpected honor, Father.
[Riley can't take it any more. For the first time, he lets go of Zetta and Ferran, stepping forward, arms reaching out to wrap around Shaun. Shaun hesitates, clearly surprised and still trying to process this, but when he notices Riley's trembling, he slowly settles his arms around him and returns the hug.]
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This is her family, but it makes her feel like she's an intruder, anyway. She looks away and to Ferran.]
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Remarkable to think that when you first left the vault you thought you'd lost your whole family. And now you have all of us again, one way or another.
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.............
..................................
Zetta scowls.] What, are you trying to make me cry?
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Is it working? Tears of joy would be just the thing to turn this into a perfect Hallmark moment.
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Now can we go somewhere and talk like a normal fucking family?
[Shaun's lips twitch up slightly.] Yes, of course.