1

lost

She has reddened eyes, and she can't seem to quite stand up straight. Every time she tries, she sways, just a little bit. Absently, she fiddles with the communications earpiece; it looks like it's chafing her. It would, she's been wearing it so long.

With effort, Gaeta tears his eyes away from Dee and back to the FTL computer. Sixty-five percent done with the latest calculation. Probably two or three minutes until it's done.

He rubs his eyes. The world seems odd, colorless. And kind of oddly dimensioned. Maybe a little blurry.

Sixty-eight percent.

Gaeta rolls his head on his neck. His spine is so stiff – he's been at his console how long? A week? Doesn't sound like so much, when it's put like that.

"Lieutenant Gaeta?"

It's Dee, and she looks worried. With an effort, Gaeta drags himself back to the present. "What is it?"

"Would you take a look at this?" she asks.

Of course he will. Gaeta pulls himself out of his chair, joints creaking, and follows her. She leads him into the hallway, empty right now, and hands him a clipboard. "It's transmissions between the, ah, Doran Star and the…" her voice trails off, and she rubs the bridge of her nose.

"Astral Queen?" Gaeta finishes, scanning the paper.

"Lieutenant," and she looks more serious, "is this the end of everything?"

Gaeta's hand grips harder on the clipboard, because yeah, it is.

"Can the human race survive this?" Her voice is broken. "Is our entire history over?"

Gaeta cups her cheek in one hand, leans in and kisses her, because he can't resist all of the sudden, because she's that hurt and he's that tired, and things just need to be coming together and healing or everything will be lost.

Two jumps after that, the Astral Queen is gone, and so are the Cylons.

- - -

2

thief

"How's the enhancement coming?" Dee asks.

Gaeta looks ruefully at the screen, slowly running the pixel enhancement program on the still frame taken from the security camera on the defense mainframe. "It's coming," he says. "Slowly."

Dee grins at him.

Gaeta settles on the edge of the lab desk. He sighs. This day's work seems like it'll never be over.

Dee settles next to him. "How come no one ever seems to notice how much work you do around here?" she asks softly.

Gaeta looks up at her, at her eyes, and he makes a connection he never has before.

"Dee," he says, but she presses a finger to his lips.

Her lips are soft when he kisses her, and she steals his breath away with a beautiful ease.

- - -

3

when

When he sees the off-log calls, he bites his lip, because there's something seriously wrong here.

When he guesses Dee is responsible, he finds her in he bathroom after his shift is over; of course, he's not really supposed to be in the enlisted head, but it's the only way he can get her alone.

When he greets her, she jumps, startled, and he apologizes, reflexively.

When he confronts her about the off-log calls, she looks down, and she denies everything. Just like he thought she would.

When she moves to leave, he's startled by how precarious the moment seems, suddenly, like it's on the very edge of a cliff.

When he kisses her, she pushes him back against the sinks and loops her arm around his neck.

When he kisses her, she kisses him back.

- - -

4

denial

"I bet Lee's gonna ask me to marry him," Dee tells Gaeta, back behind the bar, the strains of music from the party floating over them.

"Yeah?" Gaeta asks, not as precise as usual. He thinks he might be drink.

"Yeah," Dee returns. "He loves me."

"Good, Dee," he says, "that's good."

She gazes at him.

"What do you want me to say?" he asks.

"I won't be a free woman anymore," she says, only slurring a little. "I'll be married. Mrs. Adama."

Gaeta laughs a little at that.

"And I'll wonder if I made a mistake."

And Gaeta looks up. She's a lot closer, all of the sudden. He can smell her hair, the soap she uses on it. "Dee," he says uncertainly.

"Felix," she breathes.

He's not sure how it happens, but then their lips are touching. Oh, Dee, and her hand is on his neck, she's opening him up, tongues touching –

And she pulls away.

"You don't have to say yes to him," Gaeta says, his heart in his throat.

"Yeah," she says, her voice filled with regret. "I do."

- - -

5

forget

The light of the cell feels harsh to Gaeta. The bars feel harsh, too, and so does the bed, and so does the light buzzing noise he can hear all around him, inside his head.

Gods damn him, anyway.

"Unlock the door, Corporal," comes a strong voice. Dee?

Gaeta looks up, and the cell door opens, Dee steps in. He drops his gaze, because he can't stand to look at her, he hasn't talked to her in years.

"Felix," she says, "I'm sorry."

"For what?" he asks bitterly.

"For not talking to you in years," she says. "For ignoring you and pretending you were a deserter to make myself feel better."

It's a hell of a way to start off a conversation, and Gaeta slides back, on the bunk, leaning against the wall. He draws his knees up to his chest.

"I always thought we were friends," she presses on, "and I think it's still true. Is it?"

Gaeta shakes his head, minutely.

Dee sits down next to him. "I'm not here by Adama's orders."

He doesn't believe her.

"I'm here because I care about you. Felix."

He looks away.

"Felix." She reaches out and drags his head around, to look at her. "Felix, please, say something."

Gaeta's throat tightens, because he can't say what he wants to say, not with words. So he turns, and he looks at Dee's face, at the elegant features and the beautiful clear skin, and in a last-ditch attempt to regain his sanity, he brushes his lips across hers damn that man straight to hell and she grabs him, kisses him longer hate him hate him kill him her tongue slipping into his mouth blood on Baltar's neck, on Gaeta's hand.

She pulls away and strokes for his cheek, and for a second, Gaeta forgets.