Rene hated to admit it, but the IFB delivered on their promises. Rene had concede defeat, the IFB had won, but other than Zara's annoying glow of victory, they hadn't rubbed it in her face, not yet. Instead they had treated her like a princess. Rene was worried at first as Zara seemed to scold her, glowering and tsking like an old lady when Jake came out of the turbowash, fully dressed and ready for the day. The reporter's frown fled once she realized that Lisbet was in the turbo giving all the boys haircuts.
"Oh, no no no, that just won't do," Zara said snapping her fingers while her team jumped into action. Lisbet was pushed aside as another woman stepped forward to finish off Crius's haircut and then Nik was ushered into the chair. It was worth Lisbet's huff of jealousy to see the results on Nik. For the first time since the destruction he looked like his old self. Who would have thought all it took was a little hair gel and a dryer to bring Nik back to life?
"Maybe it's the cape?" Rene mused to Lisbet. Dante had never given them dress uniforms, and probably never would have. They weren't real warriors, not to Dante and his followers, therefore the Sewer Rats hadn't earned the privilege of the cape. It wasn't just the haircut that had brought some spark back to her friend. It was the respect afforded him for the first time since the Cylons killed almost everyone he knew. If the IFB could make them look respectable, then maybe others might see them as more than just Sewer Rats? Rene was beginning to like the IFB attention now that it might be benefitting all of them
But then Rene found herself frowning after they were done with Jason and Cain. The boys both looked older and ready for the academy. The realization that too soon she would be losing both of them to the Colonial Service sent a chill down her spine. How long would it be before the two outranked her? Once done, Crius took them off to find Starbuck and get to the triad courts.
"Don't tease him too much," Rene called after them. "What happened is mostly your fault," she directed a glare at Crius who just laughed.
"Don't worry Mom," Jason winked at her, using the label he knew she didn't like. She wasn't his mom, not really as he acted more mature than her most days. "We'll be sure to let him know that he admitted he was stupid."
Before she could admonish them further, they were gone and the room was back in motion getting everyone but her ready for the day. The hairdresser sweet talked Kiff and Daniel with the promise of sweets to sit still to get their hair styled while Rene and Lisbet helped the girls into their new dresses. Calliope had ripped her tights before they were even on and Rene had to warn one of the IFB staff to make sure they had another dress ready to go before the ceremony. Calliope had always been hard on clothes in her efforts to keep up with Daniel and Kiff.
When the child minder arrived, a woman she had never met, Rene spoke up insisting that it wasn't needed. She would take the kids to their father's and people they knew.
"It won't take long," Rene had assured Zara and her staff, yet it took nearly half a centaur just to gather up all the kids. Once she finally made it out of the room, Rene jumped in shock when she saw Jake just outside the door waiting in the corridor.
"Didn't want to abandon you to that," he said reaching for Leia.
"It's not so bad," she said waving her hand in Nik's direction as she enjoyed the appreciative glance Jake gave his friend.
"Guess I should have let them have at me then. We can take it from here." He reached for Kalea's hand, but Rene kept a hold of Kiff.
"I need to see Starbuck," she said in reply to Jake's raised eyebrow.
"I'm pretty sure they left his pretty face alone. You'll be seeing him soon enough."
"I know. I just…" She left the words unsaid as she changed topics. "I'm not having Cain act as protector."
Jake just nodded. "Who then? Crius?"
"No, he's up there with you, Apollo and Boomer. Don't worry about it. It will be fine."
She tried to ignore the worried glance Jake cast her before he looked away.
"If only he were here. You sure we couldn't have saved him?" His voice was so soft she barely heard him. She didn't need to ask who he meant. Ari's absence hung between them like her rift taking them both far away from each other.
"I tried," she breathed out the words feeling the weight of the unsaid, "if only I had gotten there sooner," settle on her shoulders pulling her down. Neither of them said anything more as they walked the corridors of the nicest ship in the fleet. The plush décor was a sharp contrast to the life they had lived for the past three yahrens, trying to build a home out of trees and mud. Jake had once wanted all of this way back on Caprica when gigs and parties were their way of life. Omit"
"I could get us a cushy job playing for some second-rate band on a luxury liner or a chancery, just until I, we hit it big." If she had a cubit for every time he had said that, she could have bought her own cruise ship. Looking at the faded luxury, she thought she preferred the dirty fields and forests to this opulence. But she knew Jake still longed for the high life. She could give it to him for at least a day or two and afterwards, she would let him go so he could find it on his own.
Once at the Triad courts she saw that Starbuck was in his element. He wore the glow of a hero, cape and all. Crius had done a great job shining up his medals, and other than the tired look in his eyes, Starbuck looked good. More than good. He was the stuff of dreams and she felt the splash of cold water to the face. Who was she to deserve this? She was nothing. She looked down to her hand holding Kiff's noting the ragged nails she chewed and the callouses from the yahrens of hard labor. The marks she had given herself to count her kills looked ugly and crude in the harsh light of the gallery. For just a moment she missed her sun-washed clear skin she had before the destruction and Dante. She turned her wrist over checking on the bruise left by the Cylon's restraints. It hadn't faded much, still a dark purple line encircling her arm. She had pulled so hard when she was conscious that she had almost broke her own hand to get free. Doctor Paye said she'd be wearing that bruise for a while with the after effects of the radion poisoning. The marks would go away eventually, but would the nightmares?
That wasn't the worst part. She had dragged Starbuck into hades on Caprica. He cleaned up well on the outside, but inside he was more bruised and battered than she was and it was all her fault.
She could barely look at him knowing she was making a mistake today. He deserved so much better than what she could give him. She nearly bolted when he waved at her, signaling for her to stay and wait for him. She would have fled if she could have, but she was dazed by the sight of Starbuck working his way through the crowd of his admirers. She wondered what would it be like to know almost everyone you met liked you and wished you well. She would never trust a stranger to ever have her best interests at heart, but Starbuck took it for granted. That kind of hope was intoxicating, addictive, and potentially deadly.
He finally made it to her, out of breath and apologizing. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean anything by it. I was drunk."
She held up her hand to stop him. Crius was enjoying Starbuck's disgrace a little too much, and the gallery of the triad court was packed. These were the fans that revered Starbuck. They didn't need to know what he had done. Plus, it was ridiculous. She should be the one apologizing as she knew Crius and the squadron intended to prank him. He had no control over what had happened.
"Slow down, hot shot. We have a hundred eyes on us and I have places I have to be." She almost had to shout to be heard over the crowd as another goal was made.
She was shocked when Starbuck grabbed her hand dragging her out into the corridor before pulling her into his arms. He smelled as good as he looked. He deserved so much more than her sewer stink. She needed to stop this now.
"Starbuck, I…"
His words were urgent and insistent as he stopped her. "No. Don't say anything, just listen. I was drunk and I don't know half of what I said, just that it was bad and I'm sorry. I love you and…"
Her heart thumped hard and she tried not to reach up to rub at her chest. Then there was a throat clearing that halted Starbuck's words. She closed her eyes for a micron wishing the world would go away and she could just be here in his arms. She opened them realizing she'd have to go through with the day, perform for the fleet and finish this sealing, but tomorrow she would set him free. He deserved more. She leaned in whispering to him, "Your drunken performance is the least of my concerns today."
"Lieutenants! You can't be seen together. It's tradition and, besides that, people will talk. You Rene can't just run away. You promised you would cooperate. If you can't be expected to behave properly, you certainly can't expect us to live up to our end of the bargain. Now you get right back there where you belong!" Zara pointed her finger at the two of them before waggling it and then motioning down the corridor back to the private suites.
Rene wanted to deck her. Starbuck must have noticed as he pulled her a few steps down the corridor. She knew what he was trying to do, but there was no escape from the IFB. They had made that clear with their constant hounding of her and Starbuck. She was committed to them for this day and she just wanted to get this debt over and paid.
"Starbuck, I have to go. I have to get ready and…"
Starbuck's look of despair chased away her words.
"Please forgive me."
She thought he was going to drop to his knees. Even if she had been mad, she would have abandoned her anger at his submission. She couldn't bear to see him so forlorn, especially on this day, his public sealing where the fleet could finally see what she and her family had discovered, Starbuck was the most caring man in the whole universe.
She reached to stroke his gorgeous face. "It's okay, handsome. You weren't in charge last night. Just tell me this, did I win the bet?" The words worked to distract him from apologizing again. She had to remind him of the girl at the party, "Did she have kids?"
He looked perplexed for a moment before he nodded his head admitting Rene had been right. Then he pulled a manoeuvre worthy of another medal. Her resolve to set him free melted as he said, "All I want from today is a picture of the kids so I can show people my family." She couldn't deny his request, or the impulse to kiss him.
The cursed IFB reporter interrupted one of the best kisses of her life and she wanted to kill the woman. If only she had brought her blaster. She found herself shifting her irritation to Starbuck. "You better be there when I get down that aisle, and sober!"
The anger must have been just what Starbuck needed to feel forgiven as his smile widened and his eyes sparkled.
"Yes, my pretty lady."
She shook her head in disbelief. That smile of his could dissolve even her cold stone heart. No wonder so women had fallen for his charm. But then there was the special emphasis he put on the word "my" while purring out the pretty. She needed that smile and those words right now before she entered the fighting pits of Scorpius with her opponents being the beautiful reporter Zara, her even more gorgeous counterpart Vanna, and all the other stunning women Starbuck had dated. Rene knew she couldn't measure up and didn't feel very pretty right now with the greenish pallor of radion poisoning and bruises from the restraints for contrast. How did he always know the right things to say? Was it just luck or was he just that good? Lords he deserved so much more than her. "Tomorrow," she thought. "I will set him free tomorrow. I just have to get through today."
Her own resolution made it easier to walk away from him and let the IFB take over. They had promised to make her beautiful, and like a drug, she swallowed it down and let it take over. The Rising Star had a fully equipped luxury spa, making do with what they could find in the fleet. They started with a soaking tub filled with flowers and oils, and then a steam bath, followed by a pedicure and a manicure. That was just the first two centaurs which was followed up by a light lunch of fresh greens and actual citrus fruit. Over the glass of bubbly vino, Lisbet sighed as Dara beamed. Maia looked like she was dreaming.
It was Sheba, the outsider, who Rene found herself most puzzled by. Because she was Starbuck's friend and dating Apollo, Rene had felt obligated to ask her to be a maid at the sealing. If Rene didn't consider her a friend, she did respect Sheba's abilities as a warrior and even more so her connection to Commander Cain and Commander Adama. What intrigued Rene though was that the pilot and War Daggit's daughter seemed right at home in the spa, as if used to the luxury and the womanly pursuits. Rene wondered how she did it, working in a man's career while still being very much a woman to admire.
Rene didn't measure up and wasn't sure if she ever could. Starbuck deserved a woman like Sheba, not a gutter snipe who no matter how many rose petals baths she took was going to stink of the sewer.
Sheba interrupted her thoughts, reaching over with a glass of vino, tapping Rene's. "Now this is living, isn't it, girls? Thank you for inviting me."
Rene shrugged and found herself looking away, blinking at the sting in her eyes. She just wanted to enjoy this, and began to wonder if that was even possible for her. Would she always be looking for the hidden daggers and feeling like she wasn't worth anything good? "Frak that," she mumbled to herself downing the vino the IFB didn't know she wasn't supposed to have.
"Having fun, ladies?" Zara said with Vanna at her side.
"Yes, we are," Dara answered for them.
"Oh good. We wanted to show you the dresses we have picked out for you and the sealing dress!" Vanna actually jumped up and down clapping her hands like a little child.
Lisbet shared a wary look with Rene, "But I thought…"
Rene nodded and spoke up, "I have a dress."
Zara shook her head. "I'm sure you have a uniform or something you've borrowed from here in the fleet, but what we have is so much better."
Rene chuckled. "I really doubt that. You haven't seen my dress."
"You haven't seen ours," Zara replied to the challenge.
"I'll go get it," Dara said as she left the room. It didn't take her long to return and she laughed out loud when she entered seeing Vanna displaying a faded monstrosity with a flowery print in golds and pinks that in the hundred yahrens or so ago when it was first worn would have been glaring and garish. If that wasn't bad enough, there were huge bows like you might find on a yule present on the shoulders and across the small of the back.
"Where's my laser. We need to put that thing out of its misery," Sheba quipped. Rene felt her herself relax a little. She'd brought along the right back up for this mission.
"So someone actually saved this from the Colonies? Why in the Lords' names why?" Sheba reached out a tentative hand like the dress might actually be dangerous and poked at one of the bows.
"It is quite stylish," Vanna said defensively. "The Rising Star had dresses you could rent for destination sealings. This came from Virgon."
"Stylish? Yeah maybe for one of the women from the senior ship for her eighth husband. Or maybe when my grandma met my grandpa at the military ball and danced a Gemon reel or Libran waltz. Look at that neckline, I mean look at it. It goes above the chin." Sheba picked at the lace collar.
"Ugh," Lisbet said.
"It harkens back to the days of old and speaks of tradition," Zara added trying to justify Vanna's choice.
"That's an accurate assessment, old, like really old." Sheba shook her head. "I'd rather walk down the aisle in my flight suit than this sad thing."
"We can make some alterations. We have time." Vanna pouted
"Or. . ." Dara spread the alternative big white bundle on their recently cleared table and undid the fastenings on the bag.
Vanna gasped as the delicate layers of silk began to spill out as if the dress came to life. Zara moved forward to help Dara unpack the ruffles and the veil with its small tiara. The crystals and embroidered flowers sparkled in the light as if they were stars in the sky.
"Where did you get this?" Zara asked sounding like the investigative reporter that she really was.
Vanna reached for the tags hanging from the dress and gasped again, a hand to her chest indicating that she was truly unable to breathe.
"Where did you get this?!" Zara spun on Dara, but Rene stepped forward.
"I took it from Caprica when we were rescued." She was vague enough that she hoped Zara would think it was rescued along with them after the destruction versus a secton or two ago on covert mission.
"Do you know what this is?" Vanna squealed having finally found air to speak.
"A dress?" Rene replied.
"You don't know what you have," Zara stated. "It's wasted on her Vanna, she has no idea."
Rene flipped between the two of them, glaring. Vanna's awestruck gaze turned to pity as she said, "Oh honey. It's a Versace. A real Versace, signed by his own hand. In the colonies this dress was worth thousands."
"A thousand cubits?" Lisbet said trying to understand the reaction of the IFB ladies.
"Oh no honey, thousands. At least five or six, but now, oh my, now it's priceless!"
"She can't wear this," Zara said reaching out a tentative hand to run it along the fabric, fingering a delicate silk flower.
"The hades I can't. I risked my life for this dress. It's mine!" Rene reached for the veil in Zara's hand.
"Maybe for the ceremony, but it's too priceless for the celebration. A real Versace!" Zara was now the one gasping in awe. "It's exquisite."
"And it's mine. I'm wearing it for as long as I want," Rene said, before adding, "I brought dresses for the others too."
"Oh it's too much!" Vanna said swooning as she fell into a chair. "Are they Versace too?"
Rene looked to Maia and Dara who would know better than her what kind of dresses they were. It was Dara that answered. "I think so. They're from the same store. Let's find out." She headed back to get the other bags, the other dresses were in far smaller bundles than the first. Rene wasn't even sure what sizes or even how many she had, having just grabbed as many as she could in her arms in colors that she liked.
Rene thought she was going to have to find smelling salts to revive Vanna as they discovered the dresses were by someone called Dior. Apparently it was a designer just as notorious as the Versace, or at least that's what Rene gathered from the woman's squeals. Vanna recovered quickly clapping her hands again in glee. "We have so many to choose from! I have an idea, we could auction one off, the cubits going to charity of course. Oh my, this is just too much. I could die happy right now!"
"Who's sealing is this, Rene or yours?" Sheba said shooting a look at the woman.
"Oh yes, of course." Vanna drew her eyes away from the pile of dresses. "Time for hair and makeup! I cannot wait for photos. They are going to be glorious! Have no fear, Ladies, we will make you beautiful!"
"I thought I already was." Sheba elbowed Rene.
The IFB staff spent nearly a centaur curling her hair and fussing over just how she should wear it. Sheba oversaw the whole operation, commenting occasionally.
"No, we aren't going for poofy toy daggit. More like the wind flowing in a Piscerian breeze."
They finally opted for a half up, half down combination with the tiara holding her hair up as one side trailed down. Rene tried to see the final results in the mirror, but Sheba kept her turned away. "Wait for the final reveal. It will be worth it, trust me."
While Sheba could be just as devious as a Rat and would love to prank Starbuck, Rene trusted her. She couldn't say why she had faith in the warrior and not other colonials, other than because Sheba was with Apollo, she had to be a decent person. Rene released the nervous butterflies in her stomach letting them fly away.
The makeup artist took over and it felt like she took just as long as the hairdresser. Rene kept sneezing from the feel of the brushes and the powder while the woman told her to sit still.
"Remember gals, we are going for sophisticated, not high end socialator like Starbuck's previous girlfriend, nor two-bit tramp like the ones before." Sheba tossed out another sarcastic quip that had Rene grinning evilly. She liked Cassie, but couldn't deny the jealousy she harbored for the woman who looked gorgeous even in medical contamination gear. It was nice to know that maybe Sheba was jealous of the woman too.
Rene tried to sneak a peek when Sheba declared the makeup to be just right, but Sheba stood in the way of the mirror as she pointed in command towards the dress that was now hanging up on display. "Not until we are suited up and ready for launch."
Rene slid herself into the dress with its silk flowers and flowing crystals. The spiderweb thin sleeves did a wonderful job of blending with her marks and tattoos, the small flowers at the wrist hiding the bruises left behind by restraints. They had a bit of a challenge getting the zipper up at first, but Sheba pushed aside Vanna. She tugged the dress a little higher over Rene's hips, telling her to suck it in before she zipped it up and then gently tugged the fabric around, positioning ruffles and flowers to hide the growing baby.
"Nice," Sheba said before gently spinning her around to let her have her first look.
It was Rene's turn to gasp. She almost didn't recognize herself.
"I'm pretty," she said softly.
"No, you're gorgeous. Starbuck is going to go weak at the knees and not be able to say his vows. The rest of the squadrons are going to eat their hearts out. You are going to silence anyone who had any doubts about you and Starbuck."
"Thanks." Rene started to say that Sheba didn't have to do all this, but Sheba interrupted her.
"No, thank you. He's always been a nice guy, but not many people saw that. Now they won't have a choice but to see. It will be broadcast in their face. Mission accomplished. Now go get some holos taken while we get dressed. I'll make sure we look perfectly hideous compared to you."
Rene admired her image feeling for the first time that maybe she looked good enough to be with Starbuck. It only took about four centaurs to pull it off, but she thought she could face the fleet with at least a shred of confidence.
Taking pictures with the IFB crew ripped that single shred of self esteem to confetti and tossed it into space. They pushed, prodded and posed her, then added in the other gals. Her cheeks ached from faking a smile and she was going to punch Vanna if she said one more time, "Look relaxed. This is the best day of your life!"
"This is going to be the last day of her life if she keeps going," Sheba whispered.
"That's it!" Vanna said as Rene laughed at Sheba's jibe.
It was Zara that finally put an end to the photo shoot letting Vanna know it was time to greet guests and take some shots of the men before they began to broadcast live. They hustled Rene and her friends off to a room near the front doors of the chapel to wait.
"Stay standing or you'll crush your dress," Vanna admonished before disappearing to go torture Starbuck and his buddies.
"Have a seat," Sheba offered, "No one is going to notice a crushed ruffle or two, they'll be too busy being captivated by Starbuck's good looks to notice."
Rene sighed as she flopped into one of the chairs wishing like hades she could talk to Starbuck one last time before facing the firing squad of the fleet. "He is going to hate this. What was I thinking?" she mumbled.
"Too late to back out now," Maia said rubbing her hand over her own belly that was beginning to show.
"No, it's not." Sheba replied. "We could go right now, just strut on down to the shuttle transfer hub, catch a ride to the Galactica and say to hades with all of them. It would be the best prank ever, leaving Starbuck there waiting at the altar. Serves him right actually. Let's go girls."
Sheba started to get up, but the image of Starbuck standing in that chapel, expectantly waiting for someone who was never going to show, sobered Rene. Sheba didn't really know him or she would have understood how cruel that would be for Starbuck, to be abandoned once again. The deepest cut would be that it was in front of everyone with his humiliation and weakness on display for the whole fleet. Her chest ached just from the idea of Starbuck standing there alone, fidgeting and trying to make jokes to cover up how much it hurt.
"Sit down!" Rene snapped, immediately cringing at her own harsh tone. "Sorry, just…" she took a deep breath. "Let's get this over with so we can get to the party, okay?"
Sheba nodded before pulling out the bottle of Ambrosia she had somehow stashed in the room. "A shot of liquid courage?"
"Do the Cylon's leak hydraulic fluid? Yes, of course!" Rene took the bottle from Sheba wishing she had time to go and grab something more potent from her stash of pills hidden in her luggage. This would have to do, she thought uncorking and taking a swig before handing it back. It didn't take long for all the girls to drain the bottle, leaving Rene feeling more relaxed as Sheba told some story of one of her disastrous dates before the destruction. Not having heard the story, Dara gasped in shock when Sheba revealed that the jerk whom they had been laughing at was none other than their old Commander Dante.
"And then, he had the gall to tell my father he would be asking for me to be sealed. It had been one date! My father laughed in his face and told him he'd see him busted to ensign if he thought he could use me like that to further his own ambitions, then made sure he was transferred far away from the fifth fleet."
"And that's how we wound up with him," Rene added the caustic punchline. "Had you just sealed with Dante, we could have been spared a lot of hardship."
"Oh no, I'm not altruistic. Besides, at least he saved you from Caprica. I'm glad he did," Sheba held up the empty bottle toasting her. "It brought you to Starbuck and he needs you."
"Yeah, like a hole in his head," Rene said looking to door. The ambrosia had just given her enough liquid courage to maybe make an escape, go find Starbuck, explain it to him, and the two of them could get out of this somehow.
"No seriously. With you he has a purpose. Before he was just going through the motions of living. Now he has a real life," Sheba said.
Rene's reply was just to shrug. She tried to think of a way to explain to Sheba that all she had brought thus far into his life was noise and chaos, and eventually heartache. Before she could say anything there was a knock on the door and Gage entered. He made it two steps into the room, the door closing behind him before he froze. A look crossed his face of such pure sadness, it forced Rene to her feet in alarm.
"What's wrong? What's happened?"
He shook his head rapidly his eyes still locked on her. "Nothing. You just…" he hesitated as his eyes traveled up and down her body, "you stunned me. You're beautiful."
"Took four centaurs to pull it off." She shrugged.
Gage shook his head. "No you always were, I just…You're glowing."
"It's the crystals," Rene said fluffing a ruffle.
"Yes, no." Gage cleared his throat pulling his eyes away. "They're almost ready for us."
"He's walking you down the aisle?" Dara said. "Him?"
"He asked," Rene answered giving another shrug realizing she might have to add more to the explanation she'd have to eventually give to Starbuck. "He saved our kids on Dilmun. He's as much a part of the Rats as Max or Crius."
"Copper Squadron," Gage corrected her. "Now let's go and show them how we shine."
He smiled as he held out his arm to her. She shook her head as she took it, but she felt a smile tug at her that she couldn't seem to chase away. Gage leaned down and whispered in her ear, "I was a fool to let you go. He is a lucky man."
Sucking in a deep breath she knew Gage was right. Starbuck was lucky and maybe by chance he could help deal them a winning hand. She let the breath out slowly. "Okay, let's do this."