[He shrugs.]

Does it matter? I need to go home for a few days. If I don't, I am going to kill him.

...You're probably going to go too, aren't you? [It's not accusatory. Simply sounding like a fact he's resigned himself to.]

Yeah. Yeah, I am. I've been putting it off because I'm afraid if I go I might never see you again. And I don't want that. I lost you once, I don't want to lose you again. And I don't want Ben to think I'm abandoning you, or him.

But Cato graduated and I have to go try to save the galaxies and this time not get our friends killed doing it. I have a responsibility to them.

[He's quiet. His lip quivers, his eyes close, and then he tries to not react.]

I know. I'm still proud of you.

[He puts his hand on Rhade's shoulder.]

I'm going to do everything in my power to make sure that we see each other again, one way or another. I had a Nietzschean compliment me on my ability to turn the universe to my will, and that's what I will.

Are you going to come back to the Barge? Ben needs you, you know. I don't think there's any warden here who can serve him better.

[He doesn't respond to the likelihood of seeing Dylan again. He knows both of their luck.] I don't know.

[He says it honestly. He doesn't know if he'll return, or if he's the best one for Ben. He knows that Davros is here and that Braxiatel needs to know about that.] You have a universe to save, and I need to get away from a man before I murder him.

Pessimist. [The accusation is fondly spoken.]

You go see your baby girl, and give her a kiss from her Uncle Dylan. Even though she's never met me, I'm sure we'll get along great when I finally get introduced. And I do plan for you to introduce us sometime.

[He nods at that. That's easy enough to do.

It's always harder to say things, but he realizes that this might be his last chance. An "I love you" is a terrible good-bye. An apology is not.] I'm sorry, by the way. I'm sorry I didn't trust you to listen to logic when I was angry with you. And I'm sorry that didn't figure out the universe didn't want to bend to my will sooner. I'm sorry that I didn't just resign when I learned about the treaties, and I cost you the future you wanted.

I don't want to know if you accept them. I just want you to know they're there. [He finally looks at him, tired.]

[Gaheris's tired look breaks his heart. He's had too many tragic goodbyes. And if this is going to be the last time he sees Gaheris, he doesn't want him to look so sad and regretful.

Gaheris says he doesn't want to know if Dylan accepts the apologies, but he can show him anyway. He takes his face in his hands and kisses him.]

You take care of yourself while you're gone. Or make that fine-suited gentleman take care of you. You're important to me and I don't want to hear that you've been being too hard on yourself when I see you again.

[He shuts his eyes again.] ...Stay here long enough to see if I come back in a week. Just... stay that long. I think if Ben knows you're here, he'll be less afraid about me. [He reaches up and puts his fingers around Dylan's wrists.

At least he's pushed Ladd to the back of his mind for a moment.]

I will. I promise. And I'll take good care of Ben for you while you're gone. I promised him piano lessons. I'd better give him at least a few before I go save the universe.

I hate this ship. I hate what it does to people. [He grabs the sides of his face.] I hate what it does to me. But I'm glad I had you back for a moment. [He puts his hand in Dylan's hair and gives him a little bit of a needier kiss. Just in case. He doesn't know what will happen, but just in case.]

Don't fail at your mission. I don't want that sort of responsibility again.

Because of this ship I got to see you alive again. I've got to be grateful to it for that.

[He smiles self-deprecatingly.]

If I fail, Trance'll probably recruit Refractions next or something.

[Then, more seriously.]

If it doesn't work, I'll come back here. I'll be okay.

Probably.

Now I just have to talk myself out of murder for more reasons than it could trap me on the ship.

[And possibly not being angry that someone else didn't listen to him and it cost them their life.] Lua death tolled without me knowing it.

I'm sorry. Sometimes you can't save everyone. [Not that this stops Dylan from trying. Or from feeling responsible for people's death when he fails.]

Killing her murderer won't change it. Especially not here where he'll get back up again in a few days. And your freedom is way more valuable than temporary revenge.

I'll tie you down if I have to. I know you've got some silk rope around here somewhere. [He doesn't think it will be necessary, but anything that helps Gaheris talk himself out of it.]

He killed the woman that loved him because she trusted him. I already hated him. I genuinely want him dead.

[And he turns away from Dylan to put his head in his hands. Part of him is really angry at her, too, for putting that failure so far ahead of her friends. She's a victim here, though, and that makes it difficult. He knows she had to go through horrors if Ladd was responsible. But then again, he's just mad, and when Nietzscheans get angry they tend to hang onto it.]

Don't worry. I'll leave before I do anything.

Oof. That's rough. That's...particularly horrible. I can see why you need to leave for a while.

[He rests his hand on Gaheris' back, over his shoulder blade.]

I'll be here waiting when you get back.

You should know. I've killed me for less. [It's out of his mouth before he can stop it, and he doesn't look at Dylan when he says it.]

Alright. [He clears his throat, and then laughs a little sadly.] It was a nice two months, anyway. Save for one rampage. It really was. [He was actually happy, without conflicting emotions in himself. He was sure about what he wanted. That almost never happens for him. He's not even sure, now.]

No. Don't do that to yourself. Besides, in my memories, it was me who killed you. So if you're going to hate yourself for killing me you have to hate me, too, for killing you. [It's not an entirely logical argument, and Dylan's aware of it. But he doesn't want Gaheris to leave feeling guilty over what had happened in the past.]

We aren't saying goodbye. Not quite yet. I'll wait for you to come back and then we can have a good goodbye, not one that's got a cloud of murder and violence hanging over it.

You say the "l" word even once during it and I'll punch you so hard you'll forget being here. [He leaves the first... somewhat confusing statement as it is. He knows that Dylan wasn't left with much of a choice. He made sure of that, at the time.]

[He pushes him a little, just enough to rock him forward where he sat.] Try it and I'll pin you to the floor.

[But he understands what Gaheris is getting at. And when it's time to say goodbye he won't leave him with those painful words.]

Don't encourage me. [The tease is obviously half-hearted, though, and with the wobble forward he goes to make himself a drink.]

[He watches Gaheris, still worried about him.]

I mean it, you be careful. And don't beat yourself up too much.

It's me or him. [And he takes a drink directly from the bottle, forgoing class and poise for a moment.]

[Dylan stands up as well, and starts picking up a few broken shards from the flood and holds them carefully in his hand.]

I don't like to see you hurt, whether it's someone else hurting you, or you hurting yourself.

It's not very Nietzschean of me. [He observes, holding his bottle idly in his hands, then. But they both know that.

There's another rant stowed up, but it doesn't come out, instead he just stands there.]