One Time Sharon didn't laugh

700 words. Beta'ed by Mamaboo. Drama. Post TSAR-bonus scene.

Originally written for the Five Times Sharon Laughed... and the One Time She Didn't at Kindreds.

NICE TO BE SMALL

Sharon went out and stopped at the door, still holding the gun and feeling uncomfortable. She played with it. Safety on. Safety off. Safety on.

Then she heard a voice coming from the hangar deck.

"Yes I am scared. What do you think? I was scared during the Cylon attack. I was scared when the prisoner on the Astral Queen wanted to rape me."

(Her thoughts suddenly transported into the brig, Sharon closed her eyes and bit her lip. Hard. Ok, I'm here and now. Sharon opened her eyes again, as the voice continued.)

"I was scared on Kobol when Crashdown pointed that gun at me."

(Intrigued, Sharon looked at the sidearm. Safety off. Felt the furiousness of the metal and saw Adama's cold face.)

"I was scared on New Caprica, when I was in the detention-center, and then when your frakking buddies almost executed me.

I don't trust you. The Lords of Kobol only know how much I hate you all. You want to know what was the best day in my life? You really want to know?"

(Sharon grasped the gun. The voice went more silent and turned into a plaintive lamentation.)

"Oh, damn you with your frakking welcoming party, Figurski, damn you ... "

Dinner time was over now. The sound of footsteps was slowly approaching. Safety on. (Did the Commander do it too? After all this time, she still didn't want to ask.) Sharon searched her pocket, put the ammo clip back in the weapon, holstered it, and, after a moment of hesitation, sighed and made her way back to the dark hangar, towards the Viper, guided by the voice.

"My only wish was to become a dentist ... Never could stand these jumps ... Always puking my guts out ..."

Cally was standing, apparently having a conversation with the diagnostic-unit connected to the ship.

"Damn this fire in the flight pod. He was so proud when he found that picture in the archives. He was the only one who never mocked me because of my size, and I lost him. Then I started to like the Chief. But she had already stolen him from me."

Feeling a presence behind her, like before, Galen's wife stopped, turned back, and fear appeared in her eyes when she recognized the Cylon.

"You changed your mind?", she asked with disdain. And, realizing something, added : "I didn't know you were still there. You weren't supposed to hear this."

Sharon showed her empty and sweaty hands, trying to put a calm mask on her face.

"I'm sorry. For Prosna, I mean. I know you were ... close." (Cally's fear changed into surprise.) "But we stop this. Now."

"I just wanted her to take me out of the cell. I wanted to be with Galen and Nicky. But she left me there. She let me down. Why?", the specialist added, seeming unaware of the illogicality of her question.

"I love my daughter too, as I already told you", Sharon answered, and saw a copy of herself lying lifeless on the ground of a Basestar.

"And it's not what you think. It's the day I finally found the courage to declare my love to the Chief", Cally said, making this dialog even more surrealistic.

"We all have to live with the things we have done and the choices we made", Sharon replied.

They remained silent for a while. The only audible sounds were the humming and the occasional beeps of the diagnostic device, whose display gave their faces a slight metallic blue color.

"I didn't think that it would take so long", Cally said with a very faint voice.

Then the lights went on, illuminating the area. The crew was coming back.

"What time is it?", Sharon asked mechanically.

Cally's face went white. "0545", she whispered, without looking at the clock. Her lips trembled, and she laughed sadly.

Disconcerted, Sharon just stared at her several seconds, not amused at all, shook her head and decided to go. She left the hangar, definitively this time. As she arrived at the door, she heard Cally starting to cry.