Divided Loyalties

Takes place after 'The Captain's Hand'. Spoilers possible up to and including this episode.

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Kara walked into the officer's rec, stopping briefly to assess the room. One table with people filling out reports, heated triad game happening at another, and a pair of people being ... intimate on the couch. Lee and Dee. She tore her eyes away from them, a scowl planting itself on her face.

"Hey Starbuck, you gonna join us? I'm feeling lucky tonight," Helo invited, noticing her standing there like a thundercloud. He had a pretty good idea why she wore that expression. He glanced over at the couch to find Dee straddled across Lee's lap. Yuck. No wonder Kara was pissed.

"Come on," he added encouragingly. "I'll stand you the ante."

Kara tried to smile. She knew what Helo was doing - they'd been friends for several years - he knew her pretty well. "Sounds good to me," she said, pulling up a chair beside him.

"How are you doing?" he asked quietly, leaning close to her head.

"Better now," she nodded, smiling up at him.

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"I've got to go on duty in a few minutes," Dee said, kissing Lee's ear. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"I have to go back to Pegasus in the morning, remember?"

"So soon? I'm going to miss you," she simpered, throwing her arms around his neck.

"Take it to your bunk," someone shouted and the rest of the table burst into laughter.

Lee's ears burned and two red spots appeared on his cheeks. He wasn't used to public displays of affection, but Dee had no such inhibitions - she'd often hugged and kissed Billy in public. I wonder if she just likes to show her men off, he thought briefly, then dismissed it. She probably just wasn't as repressed as he was. Adamas had a legacy of being the 'stiff upper lip' type - not showing emotion if at all possible.

"Let's go," he whispered, pulling her along towards the exit. His eyes met Kara's and she gave him a quick smile. Enigmatic though - he could never really tell what she was thinking anymore. She'd become much better at hiding her feelings, and now that he lived on Pegasus, he didn't see her very often. When he was on Galactica, Dee had a way of commandeering all of his attention - something for which he felt guilty. He and Kara were friends - friends who fought frequently perhaps - but they'd made up a few weeks ago and still he hadn't spent any time with her since then. Next time Kara, he promised himself silently. Next time I'm here we'll spend some time together.

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"Um ... Starbuck, ... can I have a word with you?" Dee asked, falling into step with her.

"Sure," Kara answered shortly, already knowing exactly where this conversation was going. It wasn't a destination she wanted to arrive at, but Dee was a fellow officer, and Lee's girlfriend, so she had to be civil.

"Just how ... close are you and Lee?"

"Close."

"Really ... close?"

"I guess so, why?"

"Is there, I mean, has there been anything between you two? 'Cause sometimes I get the feeling ..."

"Is there? No, he's with you. You don't really think Lee would do that do you? Was there? That's really none of your business," Kara said coolly, turning to face Dee and crossing her arms over her chest.

"It's just that I feel like you two are ... really close ... like there's something going on that you're trying to hide."

"If you can't handle the fact that we're friends, maybe you shouldn't be with him," she challenged.

But Dee, in spite of her meek appearance, was not one to be intimidated. "You are so arrogant Starbuck, I don't know how he stands you. You shot him - nearly killed him, and yet you think you should still be the person closest to him." She shook her head in disbelief.

But she'd struck a nerve. Lee had forgiven her for shooting him, but Kara hadn't forgiven herself. All resolve of being civil went out the window.

"Don't you talk to me about killing people," Kara began, eyes narrowing. "You bear a lot of the responsibility for Billy's death."

"How dare you say that!" Dee threw out indignantly.

"I read the report - why do you think Billy tried to play the hero? He was trying to prove himself to you. How do you think it made him feel to know you dumped him for a god?"

"A god?"

"Lee Adama - Apollo - god of the sun - the son of the Admiral and hero of the fleet. Not to mention the sexiest frakking man left alive. How could he compete with that? I would have done the same thing if I'd been in his place." Kara glared at her. "And I know about the proposal - he came and talked to me afterwards," she added at Dee's shocked look. "He wanted to know what he did wrong - why you suddenly turned away from him."

"He ... he came to you?" she asked incredulously.

"I guess he figured maybe I knew you well enough to know what was going on."

"What did you tell him?" Dee whispered, horrified that Kara knew the truth.

Kara's eyebrows raised and she gave Dee a very direct look. "I didn't tell him you've been leading him on - letting him believe everything was okay between you two even though you'd been flirting with Lee for a month." She blinked deliberately. "I figured it was your job to break his heart, not mine. Obviously you accomplished that. But let me tell you something." She leaned closer to Dee and spoke in a much lower, more threatening voice. "If you do anything - anything at all to hurt Lee, you'll have me to deal with."

In spite of her bravado, Dee took a step back involuntarily. Starbuck was not someone who's bad side you wanted to be on.

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Kara had just entered the senior officer's bunkroom when the voice assaulted her from behind.

"Starbuck." It was Lee, and he was angry. No, check that, furious. Madder than she'd ever seen him before. "I knew you were a trouble-maker, but I didn't think even you would stoop so low."

"What the hell are you talking about?" she demanded angrily. How dare he insult her like that! And for what?

Lee shook his head as he spoke. "You really are a piece of work, you know that Thrace? You act like you're not interested - like all you want is a quick frak, but now that I'm with someone else, you're jealous as all get out."

"You're out of your frakking mind Adama."

"Really," he said dryly. "If I'm the one who's crazy, why are you the one threatening my girlfriend?"

"What the frak ... ? Is that what she told you? Gods, that woman is crazy."

"Don't you dare insult her!" he raged, eyes almost black with anger. He took a step forward menacingly.

"Yeah, or what?" she challenged, never one to back down from a fight. Especially with Lee.

"You'll be in some serious trouble," he threatened.

Kara just laughed. "Like I've never been in trouble before. You're going to have to try a little harder than that if you want to scare me."

"You know what? Just keep your frakked up self away from me and Dee, okay? I don't need you frakking up my life any more than you already have."

"Frakking up your ... " she began disbelievingly, then gave up. "Fine. You don't want me in your life? No problem." She walked up to him and stopped, mere inches away. "No problem at all," she spat, then turned and stalked out of the bunkroom.

"Good!" Lee shouted after her, heart pounding. One less headache in his life.

TBC