Alec pokes his head into the studying.  He had been working furiously on his terminal trying to cope with the detention facility paperwork and trying to figure out how to clear the crews names, searching for possibly sightings of the girl that had gone missing, figuring out party arrangments ... it was all a little much.  He wasn't entirely sure why Lady Monroe would wish to entangle herself so deeply with this crew who was obviously nothing but trouble - and a lot of it at that.  But he respected the young woman's judgment so he would do all he could.

"The tailor is hear, Miss Monroe." he said.

"Thank you Alec." Kyoko says calmly as she stops by him, giving him a smile and reassuring squeeze on his arm. "I appreciate how much effort you're putting forht for this.. I really do." she says quietly enough that he hears her but not enough to carry across the room.

"Send him in, the sooner we get the Captain outfited, the sooner I can get about getting him ready for the party. The sooner we resolve the theft issues, we can see about getting all the crew out of trouble." She sighs as she considers how she'll have to get the last crew member out of trouble.

Alec nodded politely to the beautiful woman and acknowledged her praise with a soft smile.  "I will show her in at once." he slipped out of the room then.

A moment later a short, plump woman with a mop of shocking red hair and bespectacled eyes stepped into the room.  Her broad grin seemed to shine like the sun.  "Ah me, Lady Monroe!" she said clapsing her hands over Kyoko's.  "I heard you needed some assistance and just jumped at the chance.  She'd delightful, isn't she?" Slyvia commented to Kale, "An angel, an absolute angel." she then did a double-take back to Kale and her wide grin contracted quickly into a terse frown, "Is this the gentleman?" she made a clucking sound with her tongue, "My, my do we have our work cut out for us."

"Thank you for coming Slyvia.. I know your time is at a premium. And take heart, you have to make him LOOK like a professional, but I got to show him how to BEHAVE." Kyoko says with a smile and a glitter in her eye. "We'll need something suitable for a small, but formal engagement, but suitable for the climate of a water vessel at night."

Kale refrained from making any comment when the Slyvia woman looked at him with obvious disdain but couldn't stop himself from making a face at Kyoko when she made it explicitly clear that it was going to be quite the task to get him behaving decently.  'Course he realized he was being childish but for the moment he didn't care.  He stood up then and went to greet the woman, "How do you do Ms. Sylvia." he said in his most proper english.  He took her hand, bowed slightly and kissed it gently, then grinned at Kyoko triumphantly.

Slyvia fanned her face and giggled, "Oh dear me, he may not look the gentlemen but, well I dare say your work shouldn't be too hard." she blushed then reached into her bag for a measuring tape.  "Alright, alright, all play and no work makes Jack a dull boy ... or something like that ... I do always get those sayings mixed up ... Arms out boy." she instructed Kale and began taking his measurments.

"Still, Slyvia, we need to make him look as respectable as possible, he's going to have a very hard night. So, we will want confort, respectablilty together." Kyoko says with a wry smile, resisting the impish to push for something more 'ethnic' like a kilt.

Sylvia took Kale's measurements all the while gabbing happily.  She left then with the reassurance that she would have his suit completed in the next four hours.

Kyoko then set to work trying to make as civil as she could manage on such short notice.  Not exactly the easiest of tasks and there were lots of curses uttered from Kale and exasperated sighs on Kyoko's part.  Occassionally Alec would poke his head in and give Kyoko updates on his progress trying to track Lei, get Kendra out and just keep things running smoothly in general.

After an exhausting afternoon Sylvia returned with the suit and soon both Kale and Kyoko were dressed to a tee and ready to make their way to the boat party.

"Huh, will ya look at that.  I might not be no gentleman, but I surely do look like one." Kale said, looking at himself in the floor length mirror in Kyoko's pent house.

He turned then to look at Kyoko, she was absolutely breath-taking in her gown for the occasion.  "Well, don't we look just right proper." then his face set in a very serious expression, "Let's get to it then.  I want ta get my girl back."

Destiny meant everything to Kale.  He was the reason he had gone on living after the war.  Destiny and everything she meant to him and everything she stood for.  He was not going to let this day end without having her back in his possession.

"I've given you every hint and mannerism to use I can Captain." Kyoko says as she adjusts his tie and looks in his eyes with her firm gaze. "Just remember..this is for Destiny and the crew."

Kale nodded.  She was right.  And because she was right he knew he was going to do everything he could to do this correctly ... or course, he had a bit of a fear that his idea of doing this correctly might not mesh exactly well with what he was supposed to do ... Kale swallowed hard.  "For Destiny." he said.  Then he and Kyoko stepped into the main room.  Ren and Acacia were both seated on the couch, Acacia appeared to be asleep, her head resting in Ren's lap.  Kale smiled slightly.

"You'll hold down the fort, right?" he said to Ren, sure that Ren would do just that.  And also hoping that this time would allow him and Acacia some time to speak and rest after all they had all been through.

Alec approached him and Kyoko then.  "The cars are ready." he said.

Ren watched as Kyoko and Kale finally left and headed off to Kyoko's party then turned towards Acacia. "Hey Red..." he called.  He was still a little preoccupied, but he knew they needed to talk.

Acacia looked up at Ren from her spot on the couch, a smile crossed her face but it was a little distant.  She felt like she still hadn't had any time to recupperate from everything that had been happening lately. Now she just wanted to sit ... and she didn't really want to talk.  "Hold me?" she said in a small voice.  She just needed to feel Ren's arms around her, making everything else just go away.

Ren looked at her and smiled.  It all seemed so much simpler when he held her, but he knew there was so much more... so many things they needed to think about and not just hide in eachother's arms.

He sat down, moving so that he was slightly behind her and pulled her back so that her shouders were resting against his chest.  He sighed, amazed by how right this felt... but.. .this was her world-- where she belonged.  Not curled up in the arms of some frieghter bum.

Acacia sighed as Ren pulled her close to him and closed her eyes.  If they could just sit here like this it'd be perfect.  She opened her eyes then, taking in the beautiful surroundings of Kyoko's pent house.  It reminded her of home.  This is the world she had come from - perhaps not quite so exquisite ... but she was startled to realize that she felt far more comfortable in these surroundings then onboard Destiny.  Maybe they could stay here ... just her and Ren.  Get a beautiful little apartment.  She could work at the hospital.  They could live a respectable life.  No more running from the law ... no more guns being held to her temple ... Acacia found herself shuddering involuntarily at the thought.

She leaned her head against Ren's chest, "Everything about this feels right." she said, and she was not just referring to being in Ren's arms, it was the whole thing.  Sitting in the beautiful apartment, on a core-world, in Ren's arms.  Safe.  That's what she felt ... and she hadn't felt that with such certainty in a long time.

Ren felt her shiver and tensed slightly, but when she settled down and told him how right things felt, he smiled and kissed the top of her head.

"I could stay like this forever," he told her.  "You in my arms.. though it would make pilotin' a little interesting..."

Acacia turned her head to face him then and her expression was rather serious,  "Could you?" she asked, and Ren could tell that she meant more then staying in her arms.  "I mean, stay here.  Like this.  Forever.  Just you and me?" she bit her lip, she knew it was a lot to ask and she hoped that Ren would understand what she meant.  Hoped that her even suggesting such an idea wouldn't make him angry or something.

He looked at her, his expession falling slightly.  "Be with you, yes... God yes, but here... 'Cacia... I..." He shook his head.

He could feel it all slipping away.  He was a fool to think she could lead the life he loved.  He loved her more, but he knew he would die in a place like this.  There was too much light, too much air... and even the black of night was diminished by the city's glow.

He gave her a pleading look.  "... the black..."

Acacia shook her head and pulled slightly away from Ren, "I know, I know ... You're right ... it's too much to ask.  I shouldn't have.  It's just -" she sighed.  She wanted Ren to be happy, she wanted them to be happy.  She knew how much being out in the black meant to him ... but was it worth it.  Risking their lives just to stay up in the night sky. "This place, the whole environment ... it reminds me of home.  We could build a real life here, Ren." she gathered his hands up in her own and kissed them lightly, "No more running from the law or scrapping to get by.  We could get married, raise a family ... you could still fly.  Local ships, of course ..." she watched his face closely.

Ren tensed slightly when she pulled away.  He was asking too much of her.  He listened, trying to believe her, trying to see things through her eyes.  He could feel the tears wanting to form and bit his lip.

He tried and he could see how important this was to her.  If only... if only things were different, but the verse was what it was... and Reiner Harris was who he was, a pilot... a deep space frighter pilot.  He cold live for years in the black... but only months in the core.  It wasn't his world, and as much as he wanted it to be fore Acacia, he knew it couldn't work.  He tried to gather up the strenth he needed, but he wanted her, he wanted a life with her... forever... it sounded so good.

"You belong here," he finally said, and though he didn't mean it to, inside it felt like good-bye, like the bright sun on the horizon had just vanished.

"Don't do that." Acacia said, fear gripping her chest, "Don't look at me like that ... don't - don't say that." she had heard the tone in his voice, he was saying goodbye.  Tears were filling her eyes and she quickly reached up a hand to wipe them away, she stared hard a Ren and found that her voice was rising slightly as she went on. "Don't you dare start saying goodbye to me now.  Not after all we've been through." Acacia shook her head fiercly.

"I love you, Ren.  I. Love. You." she kissed his hands again as she said each word.  And as she looked into her eyes she knew ... there would be a million new towns, a million new places, a million chances for them to start all over again ... but there was only one Ren.  There was only one man that she loved.  "I want to be with you forever Ren ... and if that means making Destiny our home - then that's what we'll do."

She smiled up at him, "I have one request though ... you move into my bunk." she gave him what she hoped was a mysterious and sultry look and was sure probably wasn't.

Ren looked at her, feeling like he'd just walked into the black without a suit.  He was shaking.  It was as if she'd thrown him a life perserver, but he was so afraid to take it.

She was so... everything he ever wanted or needed...

He opened his mouth then closed it, fighting to find the words.  "I.. I don't want to say good-bye... not every but... "

He looked at her, his eyes tearing over.  "I can never give you... this.." he said gesturing around the apartment.  And then it sunk in.

"... Destiny... you... "

He looked at her afraid to hope.

"I know, Ren, I know ... I don't need all this though.  I need you."  She felt better just saying the words. "This is it, Ren.  You an' me.  Forever." she smiled and leaned in and kissed him.  Then laughed, looking around.

"And ya know, this is you an' me.  Alone." she grinned and wrapped her arms around him.

Ren looked her, knowing what she was giving up... what she was willing to give up for him.  Part of him hated himself for doing this to her, but the rest of him let go of everything else.  She said... forever.

In spite of himself he smiled as she pointed out that they were alone.  He gently pulled her to him.  They could have it all, here... if only for a little while.  They were together, and everything else, simply faded away.