Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters of Battlestar Galactica.
SPOILER WARNING: Could include references from the show.
Rating: T for now, but may change.
Characters: The usual suspects, mainly Lee and Kara
Setting: Earth, 4 years after the exodus from the colonies.
Summary: Completely AU. The fleet has found Earth, Lee and Kara have found each other. Fluffiness ensues when they settle down to a "normal" life on Earth. But will they finally have the peace they deserve?
Life is Good
Life is good.
It wasn't often that Kara Thrace, "frak up" extraordinaire was able to claim that life was perfect, but today just might be one of those days. She smiled and waved as Lee drove away to work. She breathed deeply and smiled at the sunshine. It was good to have a home. Good to be safe. Good to not live in fear of the Cylon threat.
Since finding Earth, life had changed for those of the former twelve colonies. They had settled comfortably on the planet they had so desperately sought. Their long lost brothers and sisters of the 13th tribe welcomed them with open arms, they shared information, technology, and a fear of Cylon attack. It took a year, but the people of Earth and the colonies were able to defeat the Cylons. Working together, they forged a bond that would last for eternity.
Kara smiled again as she looked at her hand that cupped her coffee mug. Her ring finger shimmered with the reflection of sunlight off the gemstone. Shortly after the final battle, during the reorganizing of the colonial fleet, Lee had asked her that fateful question. At first she thought he was joking, but the look in his crystal blue eyes told her he was deadly serious. She didn't hesitate, but threw herself at him and held on for dear life. They had been through so much together, it was a miracle they made it through the war, but they did and they knew they wanted to be together, always.
With the lack of need for a planetary defense, the military began to downside. Oh, the leaders knew they needed a defense, but they would rely on the numerous reservists if a full scale war occurred again. Kara knew she would be on the first transport ship at the first sign of trouble. She retired from active duty, but still taught combat flight instruction at the local naval base. She learned to fly the inner atmospheric fighter jets the militaries used on Earth. It wasn't nearly as fun as flying in space in her old Mark II, but it did provide one hell of a ride. Military leaders had worked together to develop new technology using the viper and combat jet. The new plane she would test fly in a few days would have the ability to enter a planet's atmosphere without incinerating. The maneuverability was different than the combat jet, which wasn't able to rotate and change direction as easily as the viper.
With one last deep breath of crisp morning air, Kara entered her home, a home she never dreamed could or would exist. She collected her paperwork that needed to return to the base. Hopefully, this class had gotten over the first week jitters and could now focus on the job ahead of them. She hated the first week of a new class. The nuggets were always wide eyed and naïve. Well, except for one or two smart asses that thought they knew it all before they walked through the door. It only took a couple of old combat films to let them see the reality of what they could face. She made it a point to show a few films where the pilot didn't make it back to the Galactica. At the end of those classes, you could hear a pin drop as reality set in.
ooooooo
Helo waved good-bye as Kara stepped into her vehicle to leave the base. She smiled and waved back. Well, at least she hoped it resembled a smile. Sharon and Helo were having another child. She didn't know how she felt about that, really, she shouldn't care at all. She was happy for Karl. He deserved a happy life, but Kara could shake the feeling of being left out. What this feeling could possible mean, she had no idea.
ooooooo
"Sharon and Helo are breeding again," Kara stated bluntly as she placed the plates on the table. "You would have thought Hera was enough, but I guess they couldn't resist."
Lee looked at Kara over the top of the letter he had been reading. "That's great for Karl, he's a great dad." He continued to watch her as she placed the rest of the dinner on the table. He had to laugh, he never imagined Starbuck "domesticated." The first six months had been difficult, but they shared household duties and managed not to kill each other. Life on Earth was a lot different than life on a battlestar.
As Kara turned to place the last dish on the table, Lee caught her profile. She looked upset, pensive - as if something wasn't quite right.
"Did you burn something?" Lee inquired sweetly hoping to make her smile.
"No, I didn't and even if I did, you would have to eat it anyway. This is the last of the food. It's your turn to go to the market for groceries." Kara hated grocery shopping. She didn't like anyone in her way when she was flying and Gods help the fool that maneuvered their shopping cart directly into her path. Lee had to drag her out of the store on more than one occasion. Somehow, it was always his turn to go to the store, but he didn't mind, it kept Kara from going to jail from assault with a deadly shopping cart.
After dinner, they worked together to clean up. Kara was quiet throughout dinner. Usually she filled him in on the antics of her idiot nuggets. She was always convinced this would be the class that would flunk out entirely. This was never the case though, more often than not her students out scored the other classes of cadets on their flight exams. Lee knew what she lacked in patience, she made up in the ability to teach anyone to fly. It often crossed his mind that she did this because of Zak. She didn't want anyone else to die on her watch. If they couldn't hack it, she told them. Lee didn't think it was her class that was bothering her, usually she didn't let that weigh on her mind.
No, something else was bothering Kara. He thought about anything that could have happened to make her so reserved this evening. He drew a blank.
"Kara, are you okay?" Lee asked softly as she folded the dish towel on the counter. He reached and grabbed her arm to pull her close. She resisted for a moment, then turned to face him, she kept her eyes lowered, but met him in an embrace. He hugged her tight and heard her sigh deeply.
"No, nothing's wrong, why do you ask?"
"You were quiet at dinner, I thought maybe I had made you mad, but you weren't tossing the dinnerware at me, so I figured I wasn't the problem," Lee joked with her.
"I don't always throw things when I'm mad." Retaliating against his joke, Kara drew a small fist back and hit him just above his kidney.
"Oww! See you are a little violent when you're angry." Lee smiled, pulled back and held her in front of him.
"I'm fine. I just think I'm tired. It was a long class today. Those nuggets are exhausting, they don't retain the slightest bit of information. I know I'll have to flunk them all," Kara stated emphatically.
Lee smiled and pulled her back against him. He kissed her on the forehead.
"You say that about every class and they all make it with flying colors."
"No, I mean it this time. They're awful."
"Give them a few weeks, you'll whip them into shape."
Kara smiled and pulled her hands in front of her. She reached up to place her hands on either side of his face.
"I love you Lee Adama," Kara said as she stretched to place a kiss on his lips.
"I love you too…does this mean I don't have to grocery shop?" Lee murmured against the soft press of her kiss.
"Frak no… you think it's safe for me to enter a store in this state of mind?" Kara teased.
"Well it didn't hurt to try."
"Sorry, flyboy it's your turn." Somehow it was always his turn.
TBC
