Interning on the Aronnax

Kaiko And the Ghost

A/N: Apparently, last chapter was the chapter to mess up names. I caught one before posting, two people caught me calling Fontaine "Kaiko," and nobody noticed when I called Finn "Will." XD Sorry, guys, but they should all be right now.

Back to short chapters, but so much happening!

Also, as I see my readers/reviewers are growing, now's a good time to ask that you don't swear in the comments. Thank you!

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Kaiko was being watched.

She couldn't see it, but she could sense it. It couldn't be anything but Alessandro, but Kaiko wondered why the ghost hadn't shown himself. She wondered if the ghost was shy since he always hid from them. Were ghosts shy? Kaiko wasn't very read up on ghosts.

"Everyone, come to the bridge right now!"

Kaiko winced at Ant's loud voice. She briefly closed her eyes as her head pounded. Then she blinked as an idea came to her.

"Go on ahead," Kaiko said when Will reached for the stretcher. "I'll wait here for you."

Will looked uncertainly at her. "Are you sure?"

Kaiko nodded. "I'll be fine, Will. Go on."

Will and Fontaine didn't move at first, but curiosity soon won out. They left, leaving Kaiko apparently alone.

Kaiko closed her eyes and leaned back on her hands. She didn't move or speak for a minute.

"Alessandro?" Kaiko murmured, eyes still closed. "Are you listening? Thank you for your help today. You not only saved me, but you saved my family, too. I'll never forget that."

She didn't expect to get a response, so she was surprised by a slight creak from somewhere above. Kaiko resisted the urge to open her eyes.

"So, you are here?" Kaiko sighed. "Well, I hope you are. Otherwise, I'd just be talking to myself. Maybe I do have a concussion."

Another creak.

"It's entirely possible," Kaiko mused. "Submarines do creak. Rarely on cue, of course, so it could just be a coincidence."

Silence.

"Definitely a concussion talking." Kaiko sighed. "What if you're just all of our imaginations getting to us? We want a ghost on board, so we pretend-" Kaiko stopped.

Something -someone- was humming.

Kaiko opened her eyes. She was still alone, but she was sure the humming wasn't just in her head. It was a slow, sad tune Kaiko half-recognized.

Kaiko tracked the humming to the vent high on the wall. She stared at the grate, wondering if she was imagining movement in the ducts beyond.

"I never would have guessed..." Kaiko murmured. "Alessandro?"

The humming stuttered, then resumed, louder. Kaiko was almost positive there was movement in the ducts.

"I don't suppose you'd mind showing yourself?" Kaiko asked.

The humming went silent with a creak of the ducts. Alessandro didn't make a sound for a long minute.

Then, very slowly, something slid between the holes in the grate. It was thin and gray- a finger? Kaiko leaned closer as it poked further out, then-

"Mum!"

Kaiko jumped so badly, she nearly fell off the stretcher at the sound of Fontaine's voice. All signs of Alessandro vanished a second before Fontaine rushed into the room.

"Fontaine," Kaiko groaned in disappointment.

"I didn't mean to scare you. What were you looking at?" Fontaine didn't wait for a response. "Anyway, let's get you to the infirmary."

"Er, Fontaine?" Kaiko said as Fontaine pushed the stretcher toward the door.

"You should really lay down, Mum," Fontaine said.

"Fontaine?"

"Don't worry, Mum, I'll take care of you."

"Wait, Fontaine," Kaiko objected. She put out her hand to catch the doorframe. "There's something here."

Fontaine startled, then became very interested in the wall. "Yeah?"

"I know I'm not usually one to believe in ghosts, but... I'm starting to think there's a ghost on board."

Fontaine groaned. "Please don't say that around Nereus."

Kaiko blinked. "Why not?"

"Because he's being ridiculous."

"I am not!" Nereus' voice preceded the old man rounding a corner. "And you should take what I'm saying seriously!"

"It's absurd!" Fontaine said vehemently.

Kaiko looked at Fontaine, too shocked by her tone to scold.

"Fontaine," Will said, coming up behind Nereus. "Maybe we should at least consider what Nereus is saying. Your eyes glowing isn't natural, and neither is that seahorse."

"Not you, too, Dad!" Fontaine said.

"Um..." Kaiko eyed Fontaine's rigid stance. "What did I miss?"

"Our seahorse friend from last week followed us here," Will said.

"And that's bad?"

"The glowing seahorse, the spirit haunting the Aronnax, and Fontaine's glowing eyes mean something. Something bad," Nereus said solemnly.

Kaiko raised an eyebrow. "Meaning?"

"He thinks I've been cursed," Fontaine scoffed. "Cursed by an Atlantean spirit!"

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A/N: Hey, even Nereus makes mistakes.