Disclosure: I do not own BSG or any of its characters, yet they live on in my heart. SO SAY WE ALL!

Time passed, and like it or not, the admiral found himself being called back to sleep by Baltar's soothing sermon going out over the wireless.

Laura noted this, and placed a hand to Bill's forearm. "Hey," she teased. "Have I overstayed my welcome?"

He startled. "No, never." He rubbed her hand with his larger one. "In fact, now that you're here, why don't you just stay the rest of the night? I'll call up to Sick Bay, tell Cottle you nodded off on my couch..."

She smiled, enjoying seeing him happy. "Sounds like a plan."

They kissed chastely, as a long-married couple would, before getting ready to go to bed.

# # #

Finishing up in the head, Laura listened as Bill ended his conversation with Cottle, chuckling into the comm while sitting at the desk shuffling papers.

"What's funny?"

Bill hung up the receiver and laughed again, somewhat embarrassed. "Nothing. Just something the doc said."

"You mean my jailer," Laura corrected.

"Don't be so mean, sweetheart. He did let you out for good behavior."

"Well, there is that."

Bill finished tidying up his desk, before joining Laura at the alcove of his rack. Together, they removed their robes, draping them over the guest chairs which sat near-by. Laura untied her head scarf. Bill removed his glasses. Both items were laid together upon the shelf at the head of the rack.

"A bit of light reading before bed?" Laura asked, as she noted the tylium reports scattered upon the mattress.

Bill gathered the papers into their file, and tossed it onto the shelf with their personal effects. "Just something to get my mind off the kids," he explained as he settled himself in the rack, and up against the bulkhead.

"I'm sorry, honey." Laura joined Bill in the bed, laying her head against his solid chest. "They'll show."

He huffed. "You're so sure of that?"

She took his hand in hers, gave it a comforting squeeze. "I know Starbuck. The girl keeps her promises."

They laid in companionable silence, as they enjoyed the rare moment of just being together. Not as Admiral, or President. Military or civilian. Healthy or sick. Just two people who loved each other fully and completely.

Bill pulled Laura closer, needing to feel her as flush against him as possible. He was afraid that if he didn't, he might wake to find she'd never really been there all along. That she would be still be alone and freezing in Sick Bay, while recovering from the intense round of Doloxan. Not safe and warm in his arms. Where she belonged.

"I'm sorry about your friend," he said thickly. "About Emily."

Laura hummed. "She was a very nice person. Reminded me of a neighbor I had once, on Caprica. A good friend to have. They're in short supply these days."

The thought pained Bill. He'd never needed a lot of friends over the years. Just Saul, and the occasional other that would drift in and out of his life. He suspected Laura was the same, in that way. Still, a friend was a valuable commodity, even there at the ends of the worlds.

"Well, you couldn't lose me- even if you tried."

"Don't worry. I wouldn't dream of doing such a thing." Adding emphasis to her words, Laura grasped Bill's dog tags, and pulled him down for a warm and lingering kiss.

He responded tentatively, afraid too much passion might overwhelm her in her slightly weakened condition. However, when Laura nipped at his lower lip with her teeth, Bill knew he'd been given the green light to try for extra bases.

"You wanna fool around?" he asked lazily, while rubbing his big toe against the softness of her instep.

Laura felt herself blush. She never should've made such an advance. Another time in the past, of course. But not now. Not when she couldn't follow through. As it was, her hands were beneath his tanks, and she could feel his growing arousal through his boxer briefs.

"I'd love to," she replied sadly. "But while I'm having treatments, it's against the rules."

He knew as well.

"Infection."

Laura nodded. "I'll go sleep on the couch."

"Laura-"

"Bill, we both need our rest, and neither of us will get any if we stay like this." Without getting any, she wanted to add.

He stopped her by holding onto her waist, albeit gently.

"Open the drawer below us," came Bill's order. "Below the rack. The drawer on our right."

She bristled slightly. Sighed deeply. In the end, his goofy grin won her over, and Laura acquiesced.

If only to make Bill happy...

"What the frak?!"

"Exactly."

Laura retrieved two items from the drawer and slid it closed with an audible snick. Meanwhile, Bill propped himself up on his elbows, and appeared quite pleased.

"Condoms and lube?"

"Extra-sensitive, but durable," Bill added playfully. "And the gel is warming, for added fun."

Laura rolled her eyes. "I thought there was a run on these in the fleet- along with everything else."

"They're from the doc's private stash." Bill took the goods from Laura, flipping the tube of lubricant confidently in the air and then catching it. "He gave them to me back when we found out your cancer had returned."

When his lover frowned, Bill took Laura's chin in his hand and pressed a kiss to her lips. "Cottle told me to save them for a rainy day."

Returning his kiss, Laura brushed a hand across Bill's rough cheek. "That's what he said on the comm to you. What got you to laugh."

He grinned, showing nearly every one of his crooked teeth. "Bastard said were we back home, it'd look like rain to him. I had to agree."

"When one is on the run and in space, it's hard to tell," Laura noted as she scooted closer beneath the covers, while working the buttons of her silky pajama top.

"Close enough," Bill drawled in agreement. Already he'd stripped down to nothing but his dog tags and his birthday suit.

She laid back into the pillows and swallowed slowly as he slid her pajama bottoms and panties down her pale legs. "I can't promise anything... that I won't disappoint you."

Ignoring Laura's words, Bill kissed her. "That could never happen."

A few more kisses later and he had her all but purring.

"You ready to put these to good use?" Bill asked of the tube and strip of foil packets that lay nearby.

"Mmmm-hmmm," came Laura's eager response.

So they did.

#END#