Disclaimer: Not mine…it all belongs to RDM.

A/N: Written as a birthday present for roslinforever and murphy987.

At the end of the day Bill was always glad to hand over command of CIC and retreat to the warmth of his quarters. More so now that Laura had moved in. Yet her transfer to his ship meant that the treatments had gotten more intense and the side effects more grueling.

The stress and worry and lack of sleep on Laura's behalf was taking its toll and today Saul had taken pity on him and took over early. Bill made a few halfhearted attempts at refusing, but eventually he permitted himself to be persuaded and left.

Bill kept himself up to date on all of Laura's treatments, and rearranged his schedule as best he could so that he could be there, but beyond that he knew nothing of her schedule. It hadn't occurred to him that she would be spending the afternoon in their quarters doing paperwork and she had no way of knowing that he would be returning early. So when Bill opened the hatch and stepped inside, he felt both pleasure at seeing her there and a jolt as he saw her without her wig.

He had seen her bare head only once before. Ishay had offered to shave Laura's beautiful red hair off for her when it had become brittle and began to fall out in clumps. Tory had been Laura's initial companion when the sad procedure began, but the aide was quickly sent out with a request that from Laura that Bill take her place. He did so willingly and held Laura's hand as she sat stoically enduring the loss of her treasured hair. He had glanced up briefly and a great wave of grief had welled up inside him as he took in the smooth, pale skin atop her head. It was not so much the absence of hair as the fact that there was now a blatant physical reminder of her cancer that he could not escape. He shed a few tears then, while Laura smiled sadly and remained dry eyed.

But since that day Laura had been careful to wear the wig around him and when she took it off it was instantly replaced by a scarf. They hadn't spoken of the loss, but he knew she missed her hair. Seeing her now, her head completely bare, had stopped him in his tracks. At first sight he was mildly horrified; she seemed completely vulnerable and childlike. Then he watched as she adjusted her glasses on her nose and he had to smile; it was still Laura. He had already noticed that her eyes were clearer now and more vibrant for being the only color around her face. She was still beautiful.

Bill would have been content to stand in the doorway and watch her for the rest of the afternoon, but when she glanced up and registered his presence her reaction was instantaneous and cut him to the core.

Her eyes widened and she inhaled sharply, becoming panicked in her mortification. One hand ran across the smooth skin of her head even as she whimpered and rose to grab her wig from where it rested on its form on the dresser. But Bill got there first.

"Don't," he whispered, his hand settling over hers firmly as she reached for her wig.

Laura had her back to him and her face turned away, but Bill could see that tears had sprung to her eyes and she was blushing.

"Bill please, I don't want you to see me like this."

He wanted to respect her wishes but at the same time he was afraid that unless she let him reach out to her now, this would become one more sorrow to drive them apart.

So instead of letting go, Bill drew her closer and kissed the back of her head lightly and then rested his cheek there. After a moment, her body relaxed and she gripped his hand. He wrapped both arms around her waist and she permitted him to hold her for a few minutes as she took several deep breaths.

"I didn't know you would be back," she said quietly. "I would have covered up."

"I know," he said simply. After a pause he continued. "I'm glad you didn't."

She sighed and turned in his arms to embrace him. He gladly held her, willing to give her whatever comfort she would accept.

Laura pulled away slightly and frowned up at him.

"It's not fair," she said plaintively.

"What's not?"

"This," she replied, running her fingers through the thick hair on the side of his head, finishing with a tug that was hardly gentle.

"I could shave it off," he offered. He meant this but hoped she would turn him down all the same.

Laura looked genuinely horrified.

"Oh gods no!" she exclaimed and they both laughed.

"Good," he told her, still chuckling. "Saul might enjoy that a little too much."

Laura giggled and rested her forehead on his shoulder.

"Is it completely hideous?" she asked him.

"Not at all," he assured her. "Your bald head is much prettier than Saul's."

She smacked him on the shoulder and they laughed again.

"May I tell you something?" His voice had grown serious and she nodded, her head still resting on his shoulder.

"I once thought to myself that you were the most beautiful woman in the fleet, and would be even if you were bald," he told her. She snorted at his words, though she could tell that he was serious. "And I was right."

She smiled and blushed, touched.

"Thank you."

He lovingly ran his hand across her head then kissed her forehead.

"No," he told her, cradling her in his arms. "Thank you."