Disclaimer: BSG is not mine. Laura is Mary's but she feels comfy in my head. Setting: Caprica. Pairing: Roslin/Adar.

Summary: The story starts after the last ep of s4.0. It's a slightly alternate solution to continue BSG after they found Earth destroyed. ;o) Or it's an alternate beginning, set before the mini series - take your pick.

Prodigy

The pictures stuck with her the moment she awoke. Pictures of stars outside of windows so small the memories almost suffocated her. Laura coughed. A place she'd seen more often in her life than she sometimes wished she had but then new ones. Pictures of a battlestar, so clearly forcing themselves on her mind – it astonished her. The assignment she must have missed to take, the files she had studied to prepare a trip to deep space – maybe that was the reason.

Laura blinked. Her dreams had been so dark, it made her eyes sensitive to the sunlight that crept into her room inch by inch. She was in her bed, her sheets had that familiar touch, his heaving chest beside her – she was home. Opening her eyes, a faint smile played around her lips at the sight of her belongings so comforting to her. Pictures on her nightstand, his clothes on a cushioned chair, flowers on her make-up table. Her jewelry, her glasses resting on an open book, face down as if it wanted to keep the secrets of what was written from her eyes. It was the meds that triggered memories from her dream. The doctor's appointment, his diagnosis, the hospital. Images of flashes before her eyes, light so piercing it caused a headache only by remembering it. Memories of days long behind her now mingled with pictures of intensive care and monitors, beeping sounds all around her. She remembered a hospital and then sickbay on that battlestar from her dream. Laura shook her head. She wanted to get rid of the confusion of those images.

Propping herself up, Laura felt pain aching through her every bone. She screamed in that silent way of hers and allowed her trembling hand to examine herself. Biting her lips, she found her chest bandaged and closed her eyes after she saw her wrists covered with band aids and pricks. She shuddered, the feeling of his comforting arms the only cure that helped ease her pain when he assisted her to lie down again.

"Easy," his voice was soothing her confusion. "Awake after days and you feel like going for a marathon already. I should've known." He chuckled.

Laura tried to return his smile but her face was a mask of pain when she shifted her position.

"Does it hurt?" Richard didn't wait for her nod to know the answer. He reached out to her nightstand and picked up the bottles filled with pills. "The doctor said you should take some of these once the drowsiness wears off. Let me find my notes to see which ones."

Calm in his search, Laura saw concern written all over his face and she wondered what had happened during all those days she didn't clearly remember.

"Are you hungry?" his voice was low, his eyes still fixed and skimming his notes. "The meds seem to be more tolerable once you eat something."

Laura shook her head. Not hungry, at least not for food.

List in hand, Richard looked at the meds, re-checked his notes and then shot her an apologetic smile. "Sorry, honey. I didn't major in nursing I guess." She answered him with a long-awaited curled up smile.

Opening two of the bottles, Richard handed her two pills and a glass of water. „Just swallow these, they should help."

Laura shot him a skeptical look.

"I hired a nurse by the way, she's downstairs doing... something. I told her I'd look after you and take a nap."

Forcing herself to swallow the tablets she was handed, Laura enjoyed the feeling of water running down her throat, water so cold it made her feel alive. Licking her dry lips, she found herself whispering her first words to him. „What day is this?"

"It's Sunday, the 24th."

Her eyes went wide in shock. Four days, she was missing four days.

"You collapsed in my office. Do you remember that?"

Laura shook her head.

"They rushed you to the hospital. That's when they told me about your cancer." He paused. "They asked for family, I said I was and they rushed you to intensive care."

Laura closed her eyes and tried to shake off the pictures – pictures of doctors and nurses and smoke around her nose, and flat lines.

"They made some tests, Laura. And they performed an endoscopic surgery. Please don't ask me how that works, but it's supposed to save as much tissue as possible."

Following her hands with his eyes, carefully tugging at the bandages around her chest, Richard continued. „They are still there, Laura." And he wiped away the tears that ran down her face. „I had four specialists looking at you. Four opinions."

"They said it's inoperable," Laura gasped.

"Three doctors agreed. The fourth one didn't. I put all my faith in him." He leaned in to place a soft kiss onto her pale cheeks. "I knew you wouldn't want them to chop off your breasts." His lips sought hers for a tender kiss. „This is the chance we got."

Laura moaned when his body pressed against her bandaged breasts. „I'm sorry," he withdrew from her, his hand trembling when he caressed her cheek and neck.

"Why didn't you tell me, Laura? Were you afraid I'd run away?"

She shrugged and sought his eyes to get an answer to a question she was afraid to ask. "What are you doing here, Richard?" Her voice was soft to not offend him.

"I'm taking care of you."

Laura didn't allow him to avoid her gaze. "You said you hired a nurse, so what's your story?"

Richard smiled. It was that small kind of a smile that meant defeat. She knew him too well, he was not a nurturer.

"I, I... don't know. All I know is that you fainted in my office and I steadied you as best as I could and you were in and out of it for hours, mumbling names of places and people. When the doctors said less than six months I cracked, something died inside of me, I can't really explain it. I felt so lost and all I wanted was to be by your side, to hold you, feel your breath on my skin and see you smile."

Laura welcomed his careful embrace and enjoyed the feeling of his head resting on her belly. "I love you, Laura." His words were quiet but sincere.

It was an hour that passed until he let go off her again, checking if she had dozed off to sleep again. The steadiness of her breathing gave away her secret. She had closed her eyes and fallen asleep once more, the meds making her sleepy, his body so close to her gave her comfort.

Richard got up with tender care and looked at her. Her face so peaceful now in her sleep, her pain visible on her skin in deep lines around her eyes and mouth. She was still so beautiful.

Placing a soft kiss onto her head, Richard took the glass from her nightstand and went downstairs to refill it. Nodding to the nurse, he answered her with a polite yes when she asked if Madam Secretary had woken up. Accepting her offer to take some soup and fruits upstairs on a salver, he apologized for being in her way when she prepared the dishes for their patient. „I understand," the reply was emphasized by a motherly smile, „she's family."

When he entered her bedroom again, Richard found her struggling to get out of bed. Sitting up already, her feet dangling in the air like those of a little girl, she tried to muster up enough strength to fight the pain and get onto her feet. Putting down the salver on her make-up table, Richard rushed to help her up.

"Can't leave you alone for more than five minutes, can I?" he held her close against him when she gasped.

"Bathroom," she moaned and allowed him to lead her towards it in slow motion.

When they finally reached the bathroom, Laura leaned against the sink and grunted at the sight of her pale face in the mirror.

"Will you be okay?" Richard hesitated to offer to help her with anything but a shower or a bath.

"I'll manage," Laura met his hesitation. "The moment I need you to help me on the loo, I want you to shoot me," Her laugh was raw and hoarse, muffled to avoid more pain.

"I'm right behind this door," he shook his head in mild amusement.

"Don't send in the cavalry just because you hear a moan. Help is the only code word that should make you storm in here."

"Understood." He smiled.

It was minutes until Laura's voice reached his ears in a careful whisper. „Richard, are you still there?"

He rushed up and to the door within seconds. „What is it, honey?"

"I think I could need some help." Her voice was vague.

Opening the door, Richard found her half undressed, her face a mask of embarrassment and pain. Seeing the wash cloth on the sink, he understood that she wanted to refresh herself but was unable to step out of her nightgown, let alone reach lower than her belly.

"Let me do this," he stepped behind her and carefully lifted the nightgown over her head. Testing the water, he made sure it wasn't too hot nor too cold when he soaked the wash cloth and touched her skin. Afraid of hurting her at first, he barely touched her until he found her trembling at the ticklish feeling of the fabric on her skin. Touching her through the material was strange but not any less arousing.

Her eyes closed to his tender care, Laura hummed a heartfelt thank you towards him. It had been so hard to ask him to assist her. Watching her in the mirror, Richard smiled when he saw her cheeks blushing to the attention she was given His touch filled her with life, the water refreshed her tired soul.

"I love you, too," the words escaped her lips so easily he couldn't help but meet her smile, shy somehow and coy.

Laura closed her eyes when he carefully touched the bandages that hid her breasts from him and opened them when she felt his uneasiness.

"The doctor said it's okay to take the bandages off to wash, it's just important to wrap you up again afterwards." His fingers trembled and Laura sought his eyes in the mirror to soothe him. Nodding her approval, her eyes were fixed on his when he started to free her from the white material. Minutes passed until she gasped when cold air brushed against her skin. His kiss helped her relax and she welcomed how he nuzzled her neck.

"See, only some stitches," his voice was low and reassuring, his words giving her the strength to risk a look.

A gasp escaped her lips when she saw four scars on her breasts – the tears that fell from her eyes were of relief rather than shock.

"You are beautiful, Laura. The scars will heal." He kissed her neck and wrapped his arms around her to hold her close.

"I had dreams, Richard." She paused. "Dreams so dark and painful, full of death and destruction. So much pain. I felt it, smelled it even." She was calm when the tears ran freely down her cheeks and dripped on the floor. "You died. I died. Caprica died. Hope was scarce and only flourished after destruction..." She sobbed "...so eminent, I cannot put it into words. It was so complex, so real. I felt the breath of some on my skin like I feel yours now. It's so confusing. It haunts me. I see images like flashes before my eyes, I..." She took a deep breath. "I want to take that trip we've been talking about."

Richard turned her in his arms and raised her chin to look at him. "What did you see?"

"I saw Cylons looking like us, I saw the extinction of the human race. I saw a journey so painful I was glad for every spark of light in-between. I was dying, I survived, only to die again. I am scared, Richard. Please take me on that trip you promised."

"Where would we go?" He tried no to dismiss her plea.

"I don't know. Earth doesn't seem to be an option." She waved off her own remark at the sight of his puzzled face.

"What... what did you see, Laura?"

"I saw a journey. I'm not sure if I only saw my own or that of many, all I know is that it was long and dreadful. There was no escape plan, no answers, no hope apart from one I was clinging to and it popped like a bubble."

"I don't know what to say."

"Neither do I, Richard. All I know is that I need to get rid of those pictures, erase the images from my mind. They are pulling me down."

"Where do you want to go?"

"Just out and away from here."

"Caprica?" He asked carefully.

"Yes."

Richard sat down to think. "I have a tour coming up next week. Last stop Picon. I could prolong that stay."

"That's not what I'm talking about, Richard. I need to get out."

Richard laughed. "You're confusing me, Laura. First you wanted to quit politics and I talked you back into it, several times. Then, in a moment of temporary insanity, I admit it, I asked you to resign and you were prepared to fight and now you want to get away from it all. How do you suppose I pull that off? I am asking you, how? Am I supposed to quit, tell my VP to take over? Do you want me to make you my priority?"

"I just want to get away. With you."

"Laura, it's not that easy."

Laura turned around to face him and enjoyed how he pulled her close. "It could be, don't you see? Life can be short and there is no plan. We have to live in the here and now, live for ourselves and for the moments of bliss we're granted."

"It really isn't that simple." He kissed her belly.

"Yes, it is. And once you allow yourself to think about it you'll see it is."

"Laura, we both have responsibilities."

"Frak them. No one feels responsible for you or cares if you excel. What they care about is when you screw up and how badly you want to survive. Make yourself a priority, Richard. You owe yourself that. Embrace what you want over what others want from you."

"I..." Richard shook his head and shrugged.

"Don't make any rash decisions. Take your time, but allow your mind to entertain the thought of liberty and freedom. It comes from within, and only you know what is right for you." Laura giggled at the sincerity in her voice and tilted her head to smile at herself.

Getting up, Richard deepened the kiss she was placing onto his lips and asked her in a whisper, "I didn't know you were so spiritual."

"Neither did I." She welcomed his distraction and invited his tongue to dance with hers before he wrapped her up again and tugged her back in bed, arms holding her close around her waist.

It was Monday morning when he got up to return to his responsibilities. He chuckled when he saw her suitcases half packed and all of her lingerie stuffed in every corner. Placing a deep kiss onto her lips he told her to stay in bed and couldn't resist to add an amused remark. "Nice of you to be packing already, honey, but do you seriously need ALL of your lingerie? Not that I'd want to complain."

He kissed her again and hushed her frown before he left. He would see what he could do about a trip, he promised her that.

When the first nuke hit Caprica and the Cylons attacked, Laura smiled bitterly to herself, a line from the prophecies forcing itself onto her mind.

All of this has happened before and will happen again. Her dream, haunting in its darkness, numbing in its lack of hope, had been real. She didn't know how and she knew this was different but just as real.

When his phone call came, she nodded and appreciated his teary I love you. "Just listen to me next time," she whispered as the light was blinding her and the impact of a nuke made her deaf and burnt her skin. She would wake again, haunted by pictures, names and places she had seen so often in her mind.

All of this had happened before and would happen again. A vicious cycle or a gift – it wasn't for her to tell.

Fin