Her cabin was calming, he found. Dark and intimate without being overt, the majority of the light came from the wall panel that held her personal bar. Cole wasn't sure if he'd have kept a bar there, himself. Maybe a few drinks set aside, but the space just seemed better suited for something else. Maybe an aquarium. But who could find time to feed fish these days?<br/><br/>He swept the thoughts aside and turned to face her, hands clasped behind his back. "I wanted to ask permission for something. A favor, I guess, though I realize I haven't done fuck-all to earn said favor." He took a deep, quick breath. "I have family. At Grissom Academy. Once this mission is over I'd like to request a brief leave to go visit them--no more than a day or two, tops, just to get there and... and explain. Obviously not the truth, but just... something. Some kind of reason why their brother just disappeared off the face of the universe."<br/><br/>Cole hesitated again before he sat down on the opposite end of the couch, hands clasped as he balanced his elbows on his knees. "Our parents died when I was barely ten. My sister was only six, our brother was a year--if that. My official record doesn't include the sacrifices it took me and Jen alike--the things we had to do just to survive. My official record states my age incorrectly, y'know. It says I'm two years older than I really am, because I forged my credentials and joined the navy when I was sixteen. Just... I understand if it's not okay. I understand if you tell me it can't happen. But I've got to try. They deserve to know I didn't just dip out on them like our parents did."