Disclaimer: I do not, nor will I ever own Outlaw Star or anything affiliated with said show.

"Speaking"

'Thoughts'

The next morning Fred was jolted awake by the sound of dishes crashing to the floor. Jumping up, he looked around the room in search of the noise and nearly growled when he saw Reiko hurriedly picking up a cup and saucer off the floor. Her clothes were slightly wrinkly and he made a mental note to have Henry talk to her later about proper uniform care. "Could you be any more of a klutz?" He asked annoyed. "First you try to ruin my clothes and now you destroy my carpet as well. I'm going to start charging you for the damages if you don't get things under control."

"Y-yes, s-sorry sir." Reiko stuttered apologetically, her eyes never leaving the floor. Instead she hurriedly set the dishes down on the cart she'd brought in with her and turned to leave.

"And where do you think you're going?"

Freezing, Reiko flinched. "T-to get you more tea."

Narrowing his eyes, Fred crossed his arms and stared at the large woman's back for several seconds before speaking. "Is something wrong? You seem…different today. Less mouthy and more, timid. What happened?"

"Nothing sir, I just…well…" Reiko wrung her hands together nervously.

"Out with it."

"It's your state of…well, undress, sir." She finally replied before bolting out of the room.

Fred scratched his head curiously, he would've thought she'd enjoy seeing him shirtless, and then looked down to see what could've possibly bothered her so much. Seeing the sheet dipped below his waist, his eyes widened and he nearly screamed in shock. Apparently when he'd sat up his blanket had shifted a bit farther than he'd anticipated and he was showing off far more skin than could be deemed appropriate. "Oh my god!" He cried, pulling the sheet up to his chin and wishing the ground would swallow him up.

Just outside the room Henry, who'd stopped by to check on his charge and inform him of the schedule for the day, began to chuckle quietly. "What a way to start the day." He said to no one in particular. Shaking his head, he straightened his jacket and stepped through the door. "Good morning Young Master."

"Good? What can possibly be good about it?" Fred demanded, making sure to keep the sheet tucked tightly under his chin. "I nearly flashed the one woman in the whole world I never want to see me naked! And you think it's a good morning? I'd say it's a pretty damn awful day!"

"It's doubtful she'll report you to the authorities so I wouldn't worry about it." Henry said calmly. "Now, about today's lineup. You've got an early lunch with the son of that wealthy client of yours. Do try to play nice with the boy; you know his father sends a lot of business your way. After that you're due at the courthouse for a meeting with Judge Mathews, you're supposed to donate money to his family's charity and he'd like to discuss the details with you, and then it's onto the theater for the opening show of your production company's newest opera."

Eyeing Fred who had begun gnawing on his sheet, Henry rubbed his forehead and sighed. "You haven't heard a word I've said, have you?"

"She'll never leave me alone now; I'm stuck with her for life!" Fred whined pitifully. "What am I going to do?"

"Sir? Are you even listening to me? Sir?" Henry asked, moving forward and waving his hand in front of the young man's face.

"Of course I am." Fred snapped. "But right now I don't care about any of those silly meetings. I'm having a crisis here in case you haven't noticed."

Snorting, Henry shook his head. "Now you're just being childish. Get up and get dressed, you have a schedule to keep and I'll not have you being late." When Fred continued to sit there pouting, he grabbed the robe off the chair and tossed it at the man's head. "I'm serious, get dressed or I'll be forced to drag your butt out of bed myself." Taking several steps back, he narrowed his eyes slightly. "Move it."

"Fine…slave driver." Fred muttered under his breath, pulling the robe over his shoulder and tying it at his waist. Standing up, he made his way to the closet and paused. "Wait a second, did you say I have brunch with Smelly?"

Henry sighed. "I wish you wouldn't call the young man that, it's very rude."

"As if I care, that guy gives me the creeps. He's always hanging all over me and trying to get me to go out with him. He's such a pervert." Fred called out as he disappeared amongst his clothes.

"Pot calling the kettle black." Henry mumbled to himself before replying. "Be that as it may, you're still going."

"I don't want to."

Rolling his eyes, Henry replied. "I don't care, you're going. You can't afford to make young mister Scott Melvin angry or his father may go elsewhere for his supplies. Besides, it's only one meal, I'm sure you can survive that long in his company."

"It's never just one meal with that man." Fred said with a snort, straightening his dark red shirt and black pants as he came out of the closet. "He always keeps bugging me until I agree to meet with him again, and if I don't he won't leave me alone. It's exhausting trying to stay away from him."

"You know, you could always pretend to be engaged and that would get him off your back. There's no way a man of his stature would ever pursue a taken man, it would ruin his family's image." Henry offered jokingly.

Pursing his lips in thought, Fred grinned widely. "That's a brilliant idea Henry!" He exclaimed. "I'll phone Gene at once! I'm sure he'd love to help me out, in exchange for a great deal on more missiles of course." Haphazardly tucking his shirt into his immaculately pressed slacks, he skipped over to the phone on his nightstand. Flipping it open, he hit the first speed dial button and placed it to his ear.

One ring, then two, and finally three went by, and he began to tap his foot impatiently. "Pick up Gene, I know you're there." Four rings later and there was still nothing so he closed the phone and dropped it back on the table with a frown. "I guess I'll just have to use the ship's communication to get in touch with him. Such a bother."

When Fred started walking towards the door, Henry cleared his throat. "Young Master, you do know that Gene is on his way to the Galactic Leyline now, do you not?"

"Yes, but what does that have to do with anything?" Fred asked with an eyebrow raised.

"If the Outlaw Star is currently many weeks away with no definite time of return, how, pray tell, do you plan on using Gene Starwind as you fiancé?" Henry questioned back. "It you truly plan on going through with this façade of yours, you'll need to keep up appearances and be seen doing couple-y things with your fiancé. You cannot simply claim to be engaged to someone who's not around; the press will have a field day. Not to mention you'll be required to show off you fiancé at the gallery opening this coming weekend once word of this spreads."

"Damn, your right. I didn't think of that. Oh well, I suppose I'll just have to pay someone to go out with me then." Fred said with a shrug. "There are plenty of men out there who're looking to make some easy cash."

Henry was about to comment about the dangers of hiring a random stranger when Reiko came back in with another tray in her hands. Watching as she set it down on the cart she'd left against the wall, he suddenly had a genius idea. "Miss Reiko, I have a proposition for you." He said, stopping her retreat from the room. "How would you like to pretend to be the Young Master's fiancé for the remainder of the time you're here?"

"Y-You must be joking!" Fred sputtered. "There's no way I'd ever agree to that, are you insane?"

Ignoring the man's outburst, he looked at Reiko questioningly. "Well, what do you think?" Henry asked again. "Is that something you'd be willing to do?"

Reiko's eyes lit up and she smiled brightly, nodding her head up and down excitedly. "I'd love to!" Then glancing over at Fred, her shoulders drooped and she sighed. "But it doesn't appear as though he's too thrilled with the idea."

"And why would I be?" Fred demanded. "I didn't want you here in the first place. What makes you think I'd be willing to pretend you were my fiancé?"

"Now, now Young Master. Think this through before you decide." Henry cut in. "She's already living here for the next few weeks so you don't have to worry about protecting an outside person. She's already being paid; all you have to do is give her a slight raise…and get her a wardrobe to fit her new position. And on top of that, she's a woman."

Fred looked at Henry like he was an idiot. "Or course she is, but what does that have to do with anything?"

"When Mr. Melvin finds out that not only are you engaged, but engaged to a woman, I believe he'll give up on you completely. He'll likely believe you're straight and move on to some other man." Henry explained. "At least that's the idea."

"That's brilliant!" Fred said, walking over to Reiko and holding out his hand. "Will you, Miss Reiko, do me the honor of being my temporary pretend fiancé?" Bowing his head, he held out his hand.

Looking from Fred to Henry, who smiled and nodded his head, Reiko beamed. "Absolutely!"

"Alright, now the first thing we must do is go shopping. No fiancé of mine will be dressed in anything other than the finest materials Heifong has to offer." Fred said in a businesslike tone. "After that we must do something with this hair of yours, and you'll need some makeup as well. Oh, and proper etiquette lessons too. I won't have you acting like some kind of barbarian when we go out." Pulling her by the hand, he drug her out of the room behind him and they both headed off towards the garage.

Henry watched the pair leave with a smile on his face. He'd meant his original comment as a joke, but seeing how the two interacted, he was glad he'd pushed them together like that. "She'll be good for the Young Master." He said with a nod. "Perhaps he'll finally grow up and stop acting like a child all the time." Grabbing the cart from next to the wall, he rolled it out of the room to take it back to the kitchen.

o o o o o

"Look." Fred said, holding the door to the car open like a gentleman and sliding in the backseat after her. "I'm going to lay down some ground rules here so you don't get the wrong idea. First of all, this is only pretend. I can't stress that enough. No matter how I may act or what you feel, this is simply a business deal and nothing more. When the contract's up you'll leave me alone forever, is that understood?" Seeing her nod, he continued. "Second, you are not to mention that this is pretend to anyone. As far as the rest of the world is concerned we've been engaged for a few weeks, ever since you got here from…wherever. I really don't care about back-story, make up what you wish, just make it believable and be sure you remember it. You'll be in charge of telling everyone how we met, our wedding plans, etc., etc., etc. And third, while we are in public we must act like a couple so there will be hand holding, hugging and the occasional peck on the cheek. You are not to initiate any physical contact, I will decide what and when we touch. I think that's about it for now, do you have all that?"

Head spinning, Reiko could do nothing but nod as she tried to process everything he'd said. A part of her said this was a really bad idea, getting closer to him would only make leaving even harder, but the other, larger part, was screaming to take any form of contact she could get with the man. Looking over at Fred, she smiled softly. Whatever the outcome, she wasn't going to give this opportunity up.

Fred rubbed his forehead with a sigh. "This is going to be a really long day." He muttered to himself before nodding at the driver to signal it was time to leave. It occurred to the man when they pulled out onto the street that there were probably much easier ways of dealing with the situation than creating a fake engagement with a woman he couldn't even stand, but Henry had made such a convincing argument he hadn't even thought to argue with the older man until it was too late. Leaning back in the seat, he closed his eyes and resigned himself to the hell he'd agreed to.

The car was silent for the remainder of the trip until they reached the large shopping mall in the middle of Heifong's shopping district. Not waiting for his driver, Fred climbed out of the car and tapped his chin in thought as he glanced at the entrance sign filled with designer names. "I suppose we really should start from the top and go from there." He said, turning and holding out his hand. When Reiko took it, he pulled gently and then turned to face the driver. "Johnson, we'll meet you back here at half past ten. That should be plenty enough time for us to make it across town to Marciano's for my lunch meeting." Without waiting for a reply, he proceeded to drag Reiko off into the mall.

o o o o o

A little under two hours later Fred walked out of the mall and stretched his arms above his head. "Man, that was exhausting." He said, covering a yawn behind his hand. "But I think you're finally ready to be seen in public with me." Not hearing a response, he glanced over his shoulder curiously. "Reiko, stop hiding behind that pillar and get over here. You're going to ruin that fabulous outfit I just bought for you."

Poking her head out, Reiko glanced around nervously before slowly stepping out into the open. Running a hand through her newly styled and highlighted hair, she tugged at the loose sleeve on her lavender blouse and ducked her head sheepishly to stare at the toes of her shiny stiletto heels that were covered by the hem of her black fitted slacks.

Fred rolled his eyes impatiently. "If you're going to be my fiancé, you need to act like it. Keep your head up and stop fidgeting." He said, walking over and raising her chin up with the tip of his finger. "Never look down to anyone. You're better than that." And with that he turned on his heel and headed over to the car that had just pulled up next to the curb.

Staring after the man in shock, that was the first truly nice thing he'd said to her since she'd arrived, Reiko beamed, and then promptly scurried over to the car before Fred could grow impatient with her. Since the door was already open, she slipped inside and settled into her seat. She had to admit the man did have quite the eye for fashion, the clothes looked amazing on her, and she couldn't wait to wear that gown he'd bought for the gallery opening he was taking her to that weekend.

Climbing in, Fred noticed the dazed look on Reiko's face and shook his head. He almost felt sorry for the poor girl, she really had no idea what she was getting herself into, almost. Checking the clock on the dash, he nodded at Johnson when he met his eyes in the review mirror. Biting his lip to keep from grinning maniacally, he nearly bounced up and down in his seat. If all went according to plan, and really, when didn't things work out perfectly for Fred Luo, soon he'd be rid of not only the affections of Smelly, but also the woman next to him.

Someone as uncouth as a professional fighter wouldn't have the slightest idea of how to act in a high society situation, and after making a complete and utter fool of herself, Fred was certain Reiko would run to the hills and never bother him again. It was pure genius. Leaning back in his seat, he closed his eyes and began to hum a cheerful tune.

The short drive to Marciano's was over nearly as soon as it began and Fred and Rieko soon found themselves standing outside one of the fanciest café's in the galaxy. It was relatively small, only seating around fifty customers inside and an additional twelve at outside tables, but the décor was made up of priceless artifacts, paintings and knickknacks from the far reaches of space. A single chair cost more than most people made in a year. Couple that with the fact that they had the top chefs on call to make whatever your heart desired, and you can see why it was a favorite amongst the wealthy.

Not that you could tell any of that from the outside, the place looked like your average middle-class café to most passerby's. The exterior of the building was made to resemble a typical coffee shop, complete with plain looking signs and cast-iron tables. If you overlooked the two burly bodyguards standing by the entrance, it would appear almost mundane.

Stepping out of the car, Fred held his hand out to Reiko. "Come along my dear, we're running a little behind schedule and I don't like to keep people waiting."

Nodding, Reiko took his hand and climbed out of the car as well. Straightening her clothes and hair, she watched as Fred tapped on the front window of the car. A few words were shared and then the car sped off as Fred made his way to her.

"What have I told you about fidgeting?" He asked, taking her hands in his and squeezing gently. "Just relax and be yourself. You'll do just fine."

Reiko nodded and allowed herself to be pulled along towards the café. When the bodyguards eyed her suspiciously, her head dropped in embarrassment.

"Relax you two, she's with me." Fred said with a wave of his hand. "Now if you don't mind I have a meeting I'm nearly late for and I'd very much like to be on my way."

"Right away Mister Luo." The guard on the right said as the other pulled open the door and bowed his head slightly.

"Thank you." With Reiko's hand still clasped in his own, he headed inside the fancy café. Ignoring the hostess by the door, he spotted the man he was supposed to meet sitting in a booth on the opposite side of the building. Taking a deep breath, dealing with Smelly always made him irritable, Fred tugged Reiko along behind him as he moved between tables on his way to the back.

Before they'd even made it to the table, the young blonde haired man with tanned skin and a dazzling smile was on his feet. "Fred, darling, you've come at last!"

The black sequined shirt and white billowy pants he was wearing were far too gaudy in Fred's opinion, but then Scott Melvin always did enjoy being the center of attention. "Yes Sme…I mean, Scott." Refusing to take the man's hand, it generally led to more unwanted attention, Fred wrapped an arm around Reiko's waist and tucked her against his side. "I do hope you don't mind, but I've brought my fiancé along with me. She wants to learn all about my family's business before our wedding next month."

Fred wished he'd had the foresight to bring a camera along as the look on Scott's face was priceless. His eyes widened comically and his mouth gaped open like he was some sort of fish. He was tempted to laugh, but that would only make him look bad and he wasn't one to ruin his own reputation so needlessly. Deciding to give the other man time to fully process things and stop freaking out, Fred pulled out a chair for Reiko before taking a seat himself. He could hear the whispers flying around the room about his fiancé and smirked to himself. Things were working out exactly as he'd hoped.

After sitting down, Reiko looked over at the apparently shocked man and held out her hand politely. "My name is Reiko Ando, it's very nice to meet you Mister Melvin."

That snapped Scott out of his stupor and he smiled at the young woman as he took her hand. "The pleasure is all mine." He replied smoothly, all evidence of his earlier surprise gone. "I must say you're one very lucky woman, I've been trying to snag this guy for years but he always manages to get away. Tell me, how did the two of you meet?"

"It's silly really." Reiko replied with a small laugh. "I was a champion wrestler and the moment I saw him I fell in love."

Fred tuned out the conversation after that and mentally pat himself on the back. Everything had gone according to plan and from the looks of it he wouldn't be dealing with any unwanted advances from the man across from him anytime soon. Crossing his legs under the table, he sat back with a smile.

As the conversation continued without him, Fred couldn't help but be impressed with how Reiko was handling the whole situation. He'd expected her to be all klutzy and embarrassed, but that wasn't the case at all. She sat up straight, looked Smelly right in the eyes as she spoke with him and never once fidgeted. It was like she'd become a whole other person all of a sudden and the change was really rather amazing. If he didn't know any better he'd think she actually was from a high-class family.

"…and the wedding is set for the end of next month. It's going to be small, just close family and friends. Neither of us wanted a big fancy wedding, so we thought we'd save all that for the reception afterwards."

That caught Fred's attention and he tuned back into the conversation. He'd assumed she'd want an extravagant wedding so hearing her description of a small laid back one was a surprise. Not that it really mattered either way, it was all a lie after all, but to be honest that was exactly what he wanted for his actual wedding.

A clock chimed in the distance and Fred immediately checked his watch. "Oh my, look at the time. We really must be going now. It was wonderful seeing you again Scott, and tell your father I look forward to his next order." Holding out his hand, he smiled politely.

"What a shame, and here I was hoping to hear more about your whirlwind romance." Scott said with a sigh. "Oh well, I suppose I'll just have to catch up with you two later." Shaking Fred's hand, he turned and chastely kissed the back of Reiko's. "My dear, you are one truly lucky woman. Don't ever let this one get away."

"I won't." Reiko replied smiling. "And it was really nice meeting you."

"You as well." Scott watched the pair leave and shook his head. "Who would've thought that Fred Luo would be tamed by a woman. Oh well, there are plenty of other men in the sea." Eyeing a cute looking guy by the counter, he grinned. "And here is one now."

"Scott's a very nice man, I don't see what your problem is with him." Reiko said as the two of them exited the café and climbed into the awaiting car. Sliding over, she waited for Fred to take his seat before continuing. "So how was I? Did I do okay?"

"Better than I expected truthfully." Fred blurted out without thinking. "…but, there's always room for improvement." He added quickly before turning to speak with the driver. "Johnson, to the courthouse and step on it." As the car pulled away from the curb, he glanced over at Reiko out of the corner of his eye and noticed the bright smile that lit up her face. The last time he'd seen her that happy was when he'd made to deal to marry her if she won those five tournaments in a row.

Shaking his head, he reminded himself that it was only a business arrangement and he already had his heart set on Gene. A few weeks of pretend weren't going to change anything. Looking out the window, he focused on the passing buildings instead of the confusing thoughts floating around in his head.

o o o o o

The rest of the day went by without a hitch and by the time the two of them arrived back at his mansion, Fred was more than ready to collapse onto his bed and sleep. Helping Reiko out of the car, he'd done it so many times that day it'd become habit, he bid Johnson good night and headed to his room. Stopping at the hallway that led to Reiko's room, he nodded his head. "Henry will inform you of the schedule for the rest of the week. I'll see you in the morning." And without letting her speak, he disappeared down the hall.

"Good night." Reiko said softly before making her way to the room she'd been supplied with. When she opened the door she found all of her new clothes already hanging neatly in the closet and she ran her fingers over the fine garments slowly. Even knowing that nothing would come of this, she was glad she'd agreed to the deal. He was showing her a world she never would've seen otherwise, and a whole new side of himself as well. She'd always known Fred was smarter than he let on, but watching him during his business deals was something else. He was like a completely different person with a no nonsense attitude and a keen eye for detail. It's no wonder he was so successful.

Tossing her clothes on the floor, she'd deal with them later, she slid under her covers and closed her eyes with a smile. The next few weeks were going to be so much fun.

On the opposite side of the mansion, Fred was having similar thoughts of his own. He truly had expected her to fail miserably and then run off in embarrassment. What he hadn't planned on was her fitting into his world so well. Not only did she look the part now, but she was very good at acting the part as well. No one, not even his shadier business partners, had any idea that she wasn't precisely who she said she was.

Which of course meant that his plan had worked, but he was starting to think it may have worked a little too well. Not only was she playing the part superbly, but everyone truly believed they were in love and engaged. How was he supposed to send her on her way now? No one would believe a sudden break up over something trivial, and there was no way he'd create some scandal just to get rid of her. As he lay in bed staring at the ceiling, he couldn't help but frown. This was supposed to be simple, but he was beginning to regret the decision he'd made. Sure it got Smelly off his back, but now he was going to have to deal with everyone else.

If that wasn't bad enough, his own feelings about the situation were becoming muddied as well. At first he couldn't stand her, but as the day progressed he'd found he actually didn't mind being in her company. She kept up with his somewhat heated discussions about politics and business, she appreciated art as much as he did, and she was absolutely adorable when she got embarrassed. He'd almost begun to think they were truly engaged, before squashing the ridiculous idea completely. It was merely a business deal, nothing more. Or so he kept telling himself as he drifted off to sleep.