[ a laugh escapes him, but it's not an entirely happy one. he knows she probably didn't mean anything by the remark, but it's also a terrible reminder. he doesn't like to think about it much, but he's lost a lot in his life. ]
My mom and brother are both dead. My dad walked out when I was a teenager. I haven't seen my little sister in nearly a decade. [ he looks over to where mako is holding little yancy's attention fantastically. ] Mako's the closest thing I've got to family now.
[ he loves tendo and alison dearly, but they've been apart long enough that they have yet to figure out where they fit into each other's lives again. there's none of that with mako. she's irrevocably a part of him and knows him better than anyone else on the planet. she's his sun, his moon, and all his stars. not that he's going to try and say any of that out loud. that's just embarrassing. ]
Hell, we don't even know where we're going to live when the press tour's over. Not yet, anyways. [ he looks back at naomi and gives her a wry smile. ] There's nothing to intrude on.
[ That he mentions not knowing where things stand for the future makes her frown. That's not fair. He and Mako just saved the world, aren't they at least supposed to get compensation for risking their lives? They deserve a place of their own at least, or secure jobs now that the kaiju are gone ( are they, really? she wonders at that because it might just be her mind and having read so much science fiction growing up but - how sure are they that the kaiju won't return? )
She doesn't know if she can offer a place in their home - she knows she should want to, Raleigh is Yancy's closest connection to the father she never knew, but the truth is... Naomi is scared. She thought she'd shut the book on her feelings for Yancy Becket when she'd finished her piece, won the Pulitzer and put the framed copies of both on her shelf. Letting Raleigh in would mean opening up the avenue to talk to her little girl about the man who shares her name and it shames Naomi to know that whatever she can tell her daughter is already in her work - accounts and photographs, all second-hand information because what did she know of Yancy? What memories did she have but the way the leather of the car seats warmed, the weight of him on her, the way that she'd felt when he'd held and kissed her.
No. Those aren't things she can tell her daughter, not yet, not now when she's so young. For now, those memories are hers and hers alone. ]
Miss Mori seems like a remarkable woman. I caught a glimpse of her once, two years ago while I was interviewing Marshal Pentecost. [ She fidgets by picking idly at her nails - an old habit she never got rid of, a carry-over from her teenaged years. ] She was putting flowers on Tamsin Sevier's grave.
[ She's quiet awhile, take a breath before she murmurs: ] She doesn't know.
She's a sweet little girl who never pressured her mother into telling her about her dad, and I am grateful for that because I honestly don't know what to tell her. I have my sister and my parents to thank for spoiling her as much as the have, for giving her a great childhood. But she's got a good head on her shoulders and she loves to read and is obsessed with anything to do with the PPDC, it's bound to come out one day. [ She feels helpless, Raleigh. She didn't think about what it would mean if she ran into you. Didn't think the world was that small. ]
[ he's got nothing but sympathy for her. he can't even begin to imagine how hard it must have been to be, what, seventeen? and pregnant from a one night stand. and then to have raised that little girl by herself, even if she did have parents and a sister helping... it's no wonder she's nervous.
raleigh gives her a small smile and shrugs as much as he can with his hands still in his pockets. ] Hey, it's okay if you want me to stay away. She's your daughter.
[ while yancy might be his niece, his mom gets to make all the decisions for her. and while part of raleigh is suddenly really thrilled about the possibility of having family again, he would understand if naomi wanted him to stay as far away as possible. things are complicated with him now being an, ugh, an international celebrity all over again. with yancy ( boy yancy, not girl yancy ) being some fallen hero. ]
For what it's worth, Mako and I both hate the media coverage. And we've gotten pretty good about being discreet about stuff. [ and if what he's heard is true, his mom took to journalism like a fish to water. so if it does eventually come out to more than just immediate family--and raleigh really kind of hopes it doesn't, for yancy's sake--he's fairly confident naomi can handle whatever it is that needs to be handled. ]
[ He gives her an out so easily, she has to turn her gaze back to where Yancy and Mako Mori have their heads bent together.
Would it be that easy? It could. She could take Yancy and walk away from this, keep quiet about her daughter's blood connection to the Beckets until her little girl's a little older, a little more independent. But Naomi thinks about how that would hurt, can imagine how cheated Yancy might feel because she'd been five feet from her uncle, from the one person who could tell her about the father who never knew she'd been born. Who'd died a hero off the Miracle Mile in Anchorage when she was just three years old.
Naomi can take a lot of things, but the idea of her daughter upset at her years from now because she was too chicken to let an opportunity happen is one thing she's not sure she can live with.
She looks back at Raleigh, presses her lips together and chooses her words carefully. ] I'd be a terrible mother to deprive her of the last blood connection she has to her dad.
[ oh, thank god. raleigh's not quite sure what he would've done if she said no. other than the obvious answer of leave her alone because he's not a creepy stalker. nope, no way was that going to happen.
but at the same time, that's yancy's kid over there. he's not sure he'd be able to live with himself knowing that she was around and he couldn't know her. couldn't be there for her if she ever wanted a cool uncle. couldn't help her out or make sure she was okay. ( not that he doubts that she's okay. kids aren't that happy and outgoing if they've got a shitty home life. ) that's his brother's kid and he feels responsible for her a little bit, even if he's only just met her.
( maybe he really does have gigantic family issues. )
he grins at naomi and laughs quietly. ] Well, I don't know about terrible. Maybe just mildly awful. [ he looks back at yancy, and something occurs to him. ] Hey, have you guys eaten yet? You could join us. You know, if that's not going to cause an uproar.
[ And just like that, just with a grin and a quiet laugh, the tension dissipates like it was nothing to begin with. ]
An uproar? [ She nods towards Yancy and Mako and how the two are getting along. ] I think we've kind of gone past that. She'd probably just give me this puppy dog look and whine 'mom, please, fifteen more minutes' which really means 'as long as I can push it.'
[ She glaces back to him, bites her lower lip unconsciously. ] If you're absolutely sure we're not intruding... I think she'd love the chance to sit with you both. [ She gestures towards the general direction of the counter, because they haven't, actually, eaten, that is. Because running over to meet heroes clearly trumps food. ] If you don't mind watching her, I can go get our food. [ There's an unspoken so you can talk to her there. She's already agreed to give this opportunity a chance, why wait? ]
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My mom and brother are both dead. My dad walked out when I was a teenager. I haven't seen my little sister in nearly a decade. [ he looks over to where mako is holding little yancy's attention fantastically. ] Mako's the closest thing I've got to family now.
[ he loves tendo and alison dearly, but they've been apart long enough that they have yet to figure out where they fit into each other's lives again. there's none of that with mako. she's irrevocably a part of him and knows him better than anyone else on the planet. she's his sun, his moon, and all his stars. not that he's going to try and say any of that out loud. that's just embarrassing. ]
Hell, we don't even know where we're going to live when the press tour's over. Not yet, anyways. [ he looks back at naomi and gives her a wry smile. ] There's nothing to intrude on.
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She doesn't know if she can offer a place in their home - she knows she should want to, Raleigh is Yancy's closest connection to the father she never knew, but the truth is... Naomi is scared. She thought she'd shut the book on her feelings for Yancy Becket when she'd finished her piece, won the Pulitzer and put the framed copies of both on her shelf. Letting Raleigh in would mean opening up the avenue to talk to her little girl about the man who shares her name and it shames Naomi to know that whatever she can tell her daughter is already in her work - accounts and photographs, all second-hand information because what did she know of Yancy? What memories did she have but the way the leather of the car seats warmed, the weight of him on her, the way that she'd felt when he'd held and kissed her.
No. Those aren't things she can tell her daughter, not yet, not now when she's so young. For now, those memories are hers and hers alone. ]
Miss Mori seems like a remarkable woman. I caught a glimpse of her once, two years ago while I was interviewing Marshal Pentecost. [ She fidgets by picking idly at her nails - an old habit she never got rid of, a carry-over from her teenaged years. ] She was putting flowers on Tamsin Sevier's grave.
[ She's quiet awhile, take a breath before she murmurs: ] She doesn't know.
She's a sweet little girl who never pressured her mother into telling her about her dad, and I am grateful for that because I honestly don't know what to tell her. I have my sister and my parents to thank for spoiling her as much as the have, for giving her a great childhood. But she's got a good head on her shoulders and she loves to read and is obsessed with anything to do with the PPDC, it's bound to come out one day. [ She feels helpless, Raleigh. She didn't think about what it would mean if she ran into you. Didn't think the world was that small. ]
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raleigh gives her a small smile and shrugs as much as he can with his hands still in his pockets. ] Hey, it's okay if you want me to stay away. She's your daughter.
[ while yancy might be his niece, his mom gets to make all the decisions for her. and while part of raleigh is suddenly really thrilled about the possibility of having family again, he would understand if naomi wanted him to stay as far away as possible. things are complicated with him now being an, ugh, an international celebrity all over again. with yancy ( boy yancy, not girl yancy ) being some fallen hero. ]
For what it's worth, Mako and I both hate the media coverage. And we've gotten pretty good about being discreet about stuff. [ and if what he's heard is true, his mom took to journalism like a fish to water. so if it does eventually come out to more than just immediate family--and raleigh really kind of hopes it doesn't, for yancy's sake--he's fairly confident naomi can handle whatever it is that needs to be handled. ]
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Would it be that easy? It could. She could take Yancy and walk away from this, keep quiet about her daughter's blood connection to the Beckets until her little girl's a little older, a little more independent. But Naomi thinks about how that would hurt, can imagine how cheated Yancy might feel because she'd been five feet from her uncle, from the one person who could tell her about the father who never knew she'd been born. Who'd died a hero off the Miracle Mile in Anchorage when she was just three years old.
Naomi can take a lot of things, but the idea of her daughter upset at her years from now because she was too chicken to let an opportunity happen is one thing she's not sure she can live with.
She looks back at Raleigh, presses her lips together and chooses her words carefully. ] I'd be a terrible mother to deprive her of the last blood connection she has to her dad.
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but at the same time, that's yancy's kid over there. he's not sure he'd be able to live with himself knowing that she was around and he couldn't know her. couldn't be there for her if she ever wanted a cool uncle. couldn't help her out or make sure she was okay. ( not that he doubts that she's okay. kids aren't that happy and outgoing if they've got a shitty home life. ) that's his brother's kid and he feels responsible for her a little bit, even if he's only just met her.
( maybe he really does have gigantic family issues. )
he grins at naomi and laughs quietly. ] Well, I don't know about terrible. Maybe just mildly awful. [ he looks back at yancy, and something occurs to him. ] Hey, have you guys eaten yet? You could join us. You know, if that's not going to cause an uproar.
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An uproar? [ She nods towards Yancy and Mako and how the two are getting along. ] I think we've kind of gone past that. She'd probably just give me this puppy dog look and whine 'mom, please, fifteen more minutes' which really means 'as long as I can push it.'
[ She glaces back to him, bites her lower lip unconsciously. ] If you're absolutely sure we're not intruding... I think she'd love the chance to sit with you both. [ She gestures towards the general direction of the counter, because they haven't, actually, eaten, that is. Because running over to meet heroes clearly trumps food. ] If you don't mind watching her, I can go get our food. [ There's an unspoken so you can talk to her there. She's already agreed to give this opportunity a chance, why wait? ]