I See You

By: Ian K.

Rating: PG

Spoilers: None definite for after Season 3 Premiere. Just speculation.

Summary: Kara's daughter helps her to make a choice about her future. Lee/Kara, all the way!!!

Lee sat at his desk in his quarters, reading over one of the myriad reports that he received daily as the commander of a battlestar. As he rubbed his eyes from the strain of reading so much, he almost wished for the days when most of the crew had settled on New Caprica, before the cylon occupation. Things may have been bad morale wise, for him included, on the Pegasus at that time, but they were sure quieter. He wasn't up late like he was now going blind on paperwork.

It had been six months since the survivors of humanity had been rescued from New Caprica. There had been a lot of healing of wounds since then, some more successfully than others. The hardest of all had been Lee's friendship with Kara.

When Kara had married Sam Anders, and left for New Caprica, she left Lee a heartbroken man. He had married Dee mainly because she seemed to be his last hope for happiness now that the woman he truly loved was gone. He had been bitter over Kara's choice, and Kara knew it. Lee sometimes thought about that day when Kara called the Pegasus and asked for medicine to cure Anders' illness. Lee never got the chance to reply because the Cylons came. He wondered, shamefully, if he would have refused her help.

Lee almost didn't go on the rescue mission to New Caprica because of his bitterness, and his reluctance to risk the remaining survivors of the fleet still free from Cylon control. It was one of the reports from Sharon Agathon, who had been sent to New Caprica to coordinate the space-borne assault with the ground-based resistance, that changed Lee's mind. Included in that report was the fact that Kara had been missing for four months. Something stirred within Lee, and he finally committed the Pegasus to the fight. That commitment, though, came with a price. Dee died in the rescue mission when a panel exploded in CIC and sent shrapnel into Dee's skull. She died quickly. Lee grieved for her, but also over the fact that he was never able to completely love her like she deserved.

When Kara returned among the survivors, she wasn't alone. Sam was with her, as was a little girl whom Kara said was her half-Cylon daughter, Kacey. Strangely, Kacey had been the one to help begin the repair in Kara's relationship with Lee.

It took some time, but Lee and Kara talked things out. She helped him grieve over the loss of Dee, and Lee offered Kara his full support in Kara's decision to raise Kacey. Their friendship began to rebuild itself, and Lee had become quite smitten with little Kacey. She's starting to talk now, and calls him "Uncle Lee."

In the meantime, Sam is far more reluctant to support Kara's newfound role as a mother. He sees Kacey as a Cylon half-breed, and can not seem to get over his unease over the child's presence. Kara also decides to rejoin the military, which Sam objects to. He wants them to find a place on one of the civilian ships, and pick up their lives where they left off before the Cylons kidnapped Kara. They argued, and Sam moved to the Rising Star, while Kara stayed on Galactica with Kacey. The couple was trying to work out their differences.

Lee had been playing the role of good friend to Kara and that of"Uncle Lee" to Kacey. He sometimes looked after Kacey when Kara went out on CAP, or to the Rising Star to try and spend time with Sam and work things out with him. He would listen as Kara ranted about Sam's refusal to accept Kara's decisions about Kara and about putting back on her uniform. Once in a while, Lee would be tempted to try and create a bigger rift between the couple, so he could have a chance with Kara. The old Lee might have done it, but this new Lee was more mature than that. Whether he ended up being Kara's lover, husband, or just a friend, he would do so with honor and would be true to her in whatever role he fell into.

Lee heard a knock at the door to his quarters. "Enter," he said loudly enough to be heard in the corridor.

The hatch opened, and into the room stepped Kara, holding Kacey in her arms.

"Hi," said Lee, with a smile. "This is a surprise."

As he walked over to Kara, the door shutting behind her, Lee saw a look of pure sadness on her face, and the evidence of dried tears on her cheek. "Lee, I'm sorry about this, but…" she began, her voice filled with tension.

"It's okay," said Lee. "What's wrong?"

"Uncle Lee," said the little, tired voice of Kacey in Kara's arms.

Lee reached out and gently took Kacey into his arms. "Hey, Princess," he said, kissing the little girl on the cheek. "How are you?"

"Sad," she said.

Lee looked at Kacey, then at Kara, as another tear fell down Kara's cheek. "What happened?" he said, looking at Kara. Kara tried to speak, but Kacey spoke instead.

"Sam no like me," she said, with a little whimper.

Kara put her hand to her mouth, to stifle a sob. Lee immediately put his arm around Kara and led her to the couch. He sat down gently, with one arm around Kara and the other holding Kacey. Lee decided to help Kacey first, then talk to Kara.

"Kacey, you know your Mommy loves you, right?" asked Lee.

"Yeah," said Kacey. "Love Mommy."

"And you know I love you," said Lee. "And your Grandpa Bill likes you, and Uncle Helo, and Aunt Sharon, and Aunt Cally and Uncle Galen. You've got a lot of people who like you."

"Uh-huh," said Kacey.

"Tell you what," said Lee. "You look tired. Why don't I take you into my room and you can sleep, okay. We'll talk about it in the morning."

"Lee, maybe we should just head back to Galactica," said Kara. "I don't want to burden you…"

Lee stood up. "Its no burden," said Lee. "And you are not going anywhere tonight. Neither of you. That's an order."

Kara smirked slightly. "Yes, sir," she said, with an ever so slight joking tone.

She followed Lee into the bedroom, and helped him put Kacey down for the night. Kara lovingly kissed her daughter on the cheek, and told her goodnight. Lee then leaned over and kissed Kacey good night.

"Love you, Lee," said Kacey, as she began to drift off to sleep.

"I love you, too, little lady," said Lee.

Kara heard her little girl and Lee exchange those words, and contrasted them to what happened earlier. She pondered the contrast in scenes as Lee led her back out to the couch. They sat down, and Lee poured Kara a glass of water.

"What happened?" asked Lee.

"You know I was going to see Anders today," said Kara. "Our once a week 'try to work things out' session."

"Yeah," said Lee. "I take it things didn't go so well."

"I think Sam was expecting things to go the way they usually do," said Kara. "I would come, he would get laid with me, and we would then argue, then agree to talk things over again next week."

"But this time you brought Kacey," said Kara.

"Helo's idea," said Kara. "Since Kacey was a source of the rift between Sam and me, Helo suggested I make Sam confront the problem head one. See how he would react."

"He reacted badly," said Lee.

"He didn't want to see her," said Kara. "Just me. Like I was supposed to lock Kacey in a closet until I left. I did put Kacey in the bedroom of Sam's quarters, and I tried to talk to him. We argued, yelled a lot. He got so…angry, and said things to me I never thought…He said that I was choosing 'that half-breed' over him, that I chose the military over him. He even accused me of maybe liking it if I could have stayed with Leoben and raised Kacey with him."

"What?!!" asked Lee in disbelief.

"I think it was more his anger talking than anything else," said Kara. "But then it got me thinking, and I replied that maybe he was like Leoben. He wanted to lock me away with him and have me all to himself. Then…Kacey came into the room. She was calling to me, and I turned my attention to her. Sam yelled at me again. Then Kacey said 'Mommy', and Sam…turned to her and screamed at her. He yelled 'shut up, you little bastard, she is not your Mommy!'"

Kara's face filled with anger as she remembered the moment. "Little Kacey began crying, and I just snapped. I hit Sam. HARD! As hard as I could!"

"Good," said Lee, who was now angry himself. "He deserved it!"

"I grabbed Kacey and left. We found a quiet little corner of the ship and just cried for a while. I didn't want to go back to Galactica just yet, but the Raptor was due to leave. On the way back, I asked Racetrack to divert to Pegasus. I just…I needed to see a friendly face. I needed to see you. Kacey said she wanted to see you, too."

Lee took Kara's hand in his, and gently rubbed it. "I'm glad you did." He then pulled Kara into his arms. "I'm so sorry, Kara."

Kara started to sob, but then pulled back from Lee. "Frak!" she said, standing up to pace back and forth in the middle of the room.

Lee stood up and stepped in front of her. "What?"

"I'm done crying over that man!" said Kara. "Frak! I am such a love sick frakking idiot!! Here I am making myself sick over Sam, and he treats my child like that! No way!! Lee, it's over. I'm done with him! For good!! I grew up in a home with a parent that didn't want me, that abused me!!! I won't put Kacey through that!! By the gods, she is going to be loved and cherished and cared for! And if Sam can't do that, to HELL with him!"

"But it still hurts, doesn't it?" asked Lee, who put his arms around Kara once again.

Kara looked at him, and nodded. "Yeah, it does."

They just stood there for a moment, looking at one another. Kara then spoke softly and carefully. "You know, as Kacey cried in my arms, you know what she said. 'I want Uncle Lee.' She loves you, and you…you have been so good to her. You love her. I can see it every time you hold her."

"I do," said Lee. "I love Kacey almost like…"

Lee stopped and turned away from Kara, for a moment. He sighed deeply. Kara smiled at his back.

"Like she was your own daughter," said Kara, completing Lee's unfinished sentence.

Lee still wouldn't look at Kara because he was slightly ashamed of what he was about to say. "I wish she was," he said, very quietly. He then composed himself, and turned towards her. Kara had a sort of strange smile on her face.

"How is it that you can accept her so easily, but Sam can't?" asked Kara. "How come you love her, but Sam won't?"

Lee considered for a moment before replying. Finally, he looked into Kara's eyes, and gently stroked her cheek with his hand. "Because when I look at Kacey, I don't see a cylon. I see you. I love her because I see you in her. And no matter what, Kara, I will be there for her. And for you. For as long as I live."

They were silent for a moment, just looking at each other. Slowly, Kara brought her lips to Lee's, and they gently kissed each other. It wasn't a passionate kiss in the traditional sense, or a chaste one. Instead, it was a soft, graceful, sweet kiss that conveyed a sense of love that could never be spoken, even if both had the courage to speak of it in that moment.

They broke the kiss. "You've had a long day," said Lee. "You're spent. Go lay down with Kacey and get some sleep. I'll bunk on the couch."

"Lee," said Kara. "Could you….sleep…with me and Kacey? I'd feel better."

"Are you sure?" asked Lee, hesitantly. "I mean…I don't want to take advantage…"

Kara chuckled. "Lee, it's not like we're going to frak in front of my daughter. I just want you near me…near Kacey and me, while we sleep."

Lee nodded. He followed her into the room, where they found Kacey sleeping peacefully. They gently lay down beside her, Kara putting her arms around Kacey and kissing her on the cheek. Lee put his arms around them both, and kissed Kacey and Kara both good night.

"You know," whispered Kara. "I kind of understand maybe what Sam was feeling. This little girl comes into my life, and I love her…unconditionally. But all that time I was with Sam, I loved him…but I also loved someone else. And now I know why I could never love just Sam. Because the other man I love turned out to be a better choice. I just couldn't see it until Kacey came along. She showed me."

"She's a smart girl," said Lee. "Like her mother."

"Lee, what you said before…about wishing Kacey was your daughter," said Kara.

"Yes," said Lee.

"Well, as far as I'm concerned…she is."

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I have another chapter in mind for this story, but didn't know whether anyone would read it and/or like it or not. So, I leave it up to those who read it? Did you like it enough to want to read another chapter? Let me know with your reviews.