In Between

by Ring Red

AU. Set over a year in the future. Lee and Dee are having marital problems and Kara keeps getting caught in the middle.

1. In Between 1

Title: In Between – 1/3
Author: Elise/Ringred
Rating: T/PG-13
Category: AU, Drama, Slight Angst, Humor, Romance
Warnings: some language?
Spoilers: Anything that's been aired in the US. I don't think there are any future spoilers in here.
Pairing: Lee/Kara, some Lee/Dee
Disclaimers: Alas, I own nothing...but we all have our dreams.
Summary: Set over a year in the future. Lee and Dee are having marital problems and Kara keeps getting caught in the middle.

Please let me know what you think. Feedback is always welcome.

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Here goes…
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Location: CAG's Office

"I don't know what the frak they were thinking but this is unacceptable. We've got two birds down and Buddy's off flight status for at least six weeks," Major Lee 'Apollo' Adama slammed the medical report down onto his desk and glared at the woman standing opposite him.

Captain Kara 'Starbuck' Thrace met his glare with a carefully neutral expression. Why was he telling her this? She'd heard about what was being called the 'CAP Blooper' through the ship grapevine earlier that day. Two pilots had literally run into each other during their last hour of CAP because they weren't paying attention to what they were doing. It was unacceptable, but it was also not her problem. Starbuck hadn't been on that CAP. A familiar knot settled itself in Kara's stomach.

Kara's lack of response didn't satisfy Major Adama. He crossed his arms over his chest. "Well?"

Starbuck silently counted to ten before answering. "We haven't had a run in with the Cylons in weeks. Some of the pilots are getting sloppy. You're the CAG. Give them a kick in the ass."

Apollo's eyes narrowed. "Or maybe the problem is insufficient training. Maybe if our flight instructor was doing her job then I wouldn't be down two birds and a pilot right now."

Kara ground her teeth together as she digested that completely unfair and inaccurate accusation. She hadn't even trained Buddy and Rainbow. She couldn't believe that Lee was trying to lay this mess at her feet. It went against every rebellious, insubordinate instinct Starbuck had to just stand there and let him take shots at her.

But she would do it. Kara knew she had to do it. She knew that if she snapped back then she'd be giving Lee exactly what he wanted. And Kara had promised herself that she wasn't playing this game anymore. She wouldn't give in this time.

Starbuck stared at Apollo for two minutes in silence. Finally she answered. "I'll work on that, sir."

Lee's eyes filled with disdain. "See that you do, Captain, because we don't have room on this ship for substandard officers who can't keep their personal chaos out of their professional performance."

For just a moment Starbuck could have sworn that her vision went red. She counted to ten again…and again. It wasn't helping. Not trusting herself to speak, Kara spun on her heel and walked toward the hatch.

"Where do you think you're going, Starbuck? I don't recall dismissing you."

Kara spun the hatch and pulled it open. "I'm leaving before I get myself thrown in the brig for striking another superior asshole, sir." She took a step through the doorway.

"Starbuck!" Lee called after her. She paused and heard Lee take a deep breath. When he spoke again the bite was gone from his voice. "Kara, I need good pilots. I need your new nugget class ready to fly."

Kara refused to turn back around to face him. "I will not graduate them before they're ready, Lee. I'm training them as quickly as possible."

"Understood," he paused, "and I'm sorry."

She nodded her acceptance of his apology and continued walking.

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Location: The Mess Hall

The day was not getting any better. Kara pushed the mush on her plate around with her fork and tried to ignore the whispered conversations taking place around her. She could feel their eyes darting to her and away. Kara knew she was the topic of their conversations. She wished she couldn't guess why.

"Hey god," a chipper voice interrupted her brooding and Kara looked up to see Duke 'Dumbo' Johnson, aka 'Dipshit', standing in front of her table. He pulled out a chair, spun it around, and plopped down into it backward. "Heard you had it out with the CAG again earlier. Did you two rip each other's clothes off or just frak fully dressed this time?"

Kara grimaced and reached up to rub her fingers over her eyes. She could feel the headache coming on. "C: None of the above and none of your frakkin' business, Dipshit. Go find some crew spec to annoy."

"Nah," he said, "Muffy's on CAP." Duke was currently pursuing Macey 'Fluffy' Anderson who he insisted on calling 'Muffy' and pretended that he thought she was actually on the deck crew and not a viper pilot. He drove Fluffy up the wall. Considering Fluffy drove everyone else up the wall, Kara thought they were a match made in heaven. Both Dumbo and Fluffy had graduated from Kara's last nugget class. "So what happened with the CAG, god? We all heard him page you to his office earlier. Figured you'd both still be panting and moaning in there about now."

Kara gave him her best Starbuck 'I could eat you' glare. Unfortunately Dipshit just grinned back un-phased. He was immune. Kara didn't know how he'd done it, but somehow over the last few months Duke had slipped in past her defenses and managed to become one of her friends.

Shaking her head, Kara picked back up her fork and stabbed at the gunk on her plate. "The CAG is a married man, Dipshit. You need to watch your mouth."

Duke snorted. "I'm just saying to your face what everyone else is whispering behind your back, Buck. We're not blind. We can all see the pattern…"

"Don't go there," Kara cut him off. "There is nothing going on between me and the CAG. He's married. End of story."

"His loss," Duke said, "you okay?"

Kara smirked. "I'm Starbuck."

Duke stared back at her seriously. "You okay?"

"I'm fine," Kara growled and stuck a piece of gunk into her mouth. She forced herself to chew and swallow it down. Duke continued to watch her. Stupid frakker. She did not need any more friends who could see past her defenses. Helo and Cally were more than enough.

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Location: The Break Room

She just wanted a little peace. She wanted to sit down and relax…maybe play a few hands of triad. It wasn't meant to be. Everywhere she turned Kara felt eyes on her.

It was starting again. They all knew it…and they all blamed her. But none of them had a frakking clue what was really going on and Kara was tired of it.

When did she become the #1 form of Fleet entertainment? When did her life turn into a frakkin' space drama that everyone sat back and watched spiral out of control? Why did this shit always have to happen to her?

Something changed in the air and suddenly the glances her way weren't covert anymore. People were openly staring. They were waiting for something. The hairs on the back of Kara's neck stood up. Frak. Kara looked behind her and her eyes locked with Dee's. Frak, frak, frak!

There the pretty princess sat in all her pure sweet innocent glory. She didn't look away. She continued to stare at Kara and why shouldn't she? She was the innocent victim here, right? She was the poor unappreciated misused wife of Lee Adama. Dee was the symbol of all things good and Kara was the embodiment of Hades himself. It was the classic battle between good and evil and the crew of the Galactica could only hope that good would triumph once again and banish evil back to the dark pit of torment it deserved.

What a load of bullshit.

Kara pushed herself to her feet. She grabbed a full bottle of ambrosia and a pack of triad cards from a nearby table and headed for the exit. She'd had enough judgment for today. If she couldn't sit in the damn break room without putting up with this shit then she'd find somewhere else to be.

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Location: Somewhere else

Kara took a swig from the open ambrosia bottle and watched the action taking place down on the hanger deck. She sighed. She loved this room. It was a nothing room, an old abandoned storage room, but it had a wall of glass windows that overlooked the deck. Watching the hanger deck, the crew work, the birds come in and go out, it always settled Kara down inside. Maybe here she could find some peace.

"What the frak are you doing up here drinking by yourself?"

Maybe not. Kara turned to smile ruefully at one of her best friends. "I needed somewhere to wind down. The break room wasn't cooperating."

Cally crossed the room and took a seat next to Kara. "So…I heard we're gearing up for another round of 'Trouble in Paradise' starring you, Evil Dee-vil, and Commander Tubby."

A chuckle escaped Kara's throat. It had been over a year since Lee lost all the extra weight he'd gained during the misadventure that was New Caprica, but Cally still continued to call him Commander Tubby. He wasn't even a commander anymore. Cally insisted that Major Tubby didn't have the same ring to it. Kara had given up on reprimanding her friend months ago.

"They're fighting again," Kara confirmed, "or I can only assume they are. Lee's showing all the signs."

"The signs?" Cally was fully aware of the signs and they both knew it. She just wanted to get Kara talking.

Kara had a nice buzz from the ambrosia in her system so she obliged. "He called me to his office earlier and tried to pick a fight."

"Really? Why?"

"Because that's what he does," Kara said. "Whenever they hit the rocks, that's what Lee always does." And it was. It happened like frakking clockwork. Lee and Dee were the perfect happy blissful couple for two to three months. Then something inevitably happened and their marriage went straight to hell. They'd spend a week or so screaming and fighting and threatening divorce before somehow working things out and starting the whole frakked up process all over again. "I'm tired of it, Cally. I won't let them pull me into it this time."

Kara's eyes started to burn and she cussed as she reached up to wipe away tears. She could feel the anger building inside her…anger at herself. She hated being this weak. She hated that she cared. Why did she let them do this to her over and over again? She knew better. Why couldn't she just learn from her mistakes and move on?

"Why are you tired of it, Kara?" Cally's voice was carefully neutral. "Why do you care?"

"Because I…" Kara slammed her fist down on the floor. Her stomach churned with hurt and guilt and disappointment. "Because I'm stupid Cally. I'm the dumbest damn asshole on this frakkin' ship because every damn time they pull this shit and every time he comes to me looking for a fight and pushing at the walls we've built between us I hope and I pray that this time it's real."

She climbed to her feet and started pacing with the ambrosia bottle still clutched in one hand. She took a swig as she continued to rant. "I'm so frakking stupid that I fight back and I let him in and I start to believe and then he runs right back to his perfect precious dependable little wife. I'm left out in the frakkin' cold while everyone pats that bastard on the back and tells him that he did the right thing and everyone praises that bitch for standing by her man and keeping him from destroying his life by getting mixed up with me again."

Kara was running out of steam. She took another swig and sat back down again. She shook her head and the room twirled before her eyes. "I'm not doing it again, Cally. I won't…I can't. I'm sick of digging holes out of my heart for something that's never going to happen."

"So say we all," Cally said. She took the bottle from Kara and drank a deep gulp of her own. Then she frowned and looked down over the deck. "How did the first volley go?"

"He blamed me for the CAP Blooper, I kept my cool, he made it personal, I walked away," Kara said.

Cally nodded. "Good woman." Then she eyed Kara closely. "No kissing?"

"No kissing."

"Absolutely no kissing?"

"Absolutely no kissing."

"No physical contact whatsoever?" Cally continued.

Kara glared at her. "I said I frakkin' walked away, Cally. I would've mentioned it if I'd molested him beforehand."

Cally snorted. "I had to ask. I still don't understand how this whole things works. He calls you into his office and reams you for something completely ridiculous, then…"

"Then I try to keep my cool but he keeps pushing and pushing until finally I push back and then we're screaming at each other and then somehow my tongue ends up down his throat. I come to my senses and remember the little woman he has at home. I make a run for the door. He ends up running back to Dee and they live happily ever after for another two to three months tops." She smiled bitterly at Cally. "All this has happened before and will happen again."

"Gods save us all," Cally said.

"But not this time," Kara said firmly. "It will not happen again this time. I will not play the damn evil siren trying to lure him away from his perfect little wife again. I am done." She nodded too quickly and her head spun again. Kara had to plant her hands on the floor to stop herself from falling over.

Cally snorted. "You're completely frakked, aren't you?"

Kara grinned and nodded with careful slowness. "That's some good stuff." She motioned to the ambrosia.

"So I see," Cally took another drink. She grimaced. "I hope you're not drinking this on an empty stomach."

Kara shrugged unconcerned.

Cally rolled her eyes. Then her expression turned serious again. "You know you could have him, Kara. You could put an end to this whole thing if you just took him." She looked back over the deck. "Every time he goads you into a kiss and every time you put a stop to it. What if you just don't stop this time?"

Kara gave a dark laugh. "Wouldn't that just be textbook Starbuck? Wouldn't that just tie everything up in a neat little package with a pretty red bow? Then Lee can blame it all on me again. I'm the bad guy. I'm the one who tempted him into cheating and ruined his marriage. Once again Lee doesn't have to take responsibility for his own damn actions." Kara glared at the ceiling. "I don't think so."

"Well, far be it for me to defend Tubby, but…"

"Yes, Cally," Kara said, "I crushed Lee and I stomped all over his heart and nothing I can do will ever make that right." She curled her hands into fists. "But I didn't make him marry her. I didn't make him stay married to her. I didn't make him fight with her every couple frakkin' months and I will not be the one to make him divorce her. Lee Adama's either gonna take responsibility for his own damn actions and divorce that bitch all by himself or he can stay married to her until they both die of old age or the Toasters blow us all to hell." Kara thumped her fists against the floor to emphasize each point.

Cally tried to keep a straight face and failed. She let loose a giggle. "Well, alright then. If you're that passionate about it Evil Dee-vil can have him."

Kara chuckled. "I think you might just be a little buzzed yourself, Crew Spec Cally."

"Might be," Cally said. She reached for the pack of triad cards sitting beside Kara. She opened the box and began to shuffle the cards. "So what if it is real this time? What if he really leaves her, Kara? What then?"

Kara turned her body to face Cally. She motioned for Cally to deal the cards. "Not gonna happen."

"But if it does?"

She thought about it…not the easiest task in her current condition. "Then I guess…we'll just see." She nodded as if to agree with herself.

Cally grimaced as she dealt the cards. "Why can't you just fall for someone other than Tubby? Can't you just fall for someone I like better than Tubby?"

Kara picked up her cards. "That doesn't narrow it down much. Who don't you like better than Lee, Cally?" Cally's unreasonable dislike of Lee was a longstanding joke between the friends.

"That is the question. There are a few models of Cylon I'd rule out."

Kara grinned. Cally always found a way to make her smile. "Frak, and I had my heart set on Boomer."

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Location: Officer's Bunkroom

Kara had been lying awake in her bunk for the last half hour trying to chase sleep but not even the ambrosia in her system seemed to be working. The day from hell refused to end.

Finally…FINALLY after counting backward from one hundred three times her mind was slowing down. She felt herself starting to float away toward oblivion.

The sound of rustling cloth jerked her back. Kara blinked her blurry eyes and realized the curtain on her bunk was open. She moaned and reached out to pull it closed.

"Stop it, Kara."

Her hand was batted away. Kara squeezed her eyes back shut at the sound of his voice. "Go away, Lee…not fighting with you. I wanna sleep. Frak off."

"Then sleep," he said.

Kara shrugged and rolled over to face the wall. But the sounds of Lee moving around didn't stop. She looked back over her shoulder confused. "What the frak are you doing, Apollo?"

Lee didn't answer. Kara's eyes widened as he climbed into her bunk wearing only a pair of military issue briefs. He turned Kara toward him and slid his arm under her head.

Kara's mouth fell open. "Are you deaf? I said frak off!"

Lee positioned her head on his shoulder and started to stroke his fingers through her hair in a slow even rhythm. "Go to sleep, Kara."

"Wha…"

"Go to sleep," Lee repeated. He reached out with his free hand and pulled the curtain on the bunk closed.

Kara didn't know what to do. She knew she should fight him, but she was still half-drunk and so damn tired…not just physically but emotionally. She didn't have any fight left in her tonight. She tried to think about her options but the steady rhythm of Lee's fingers and the darkness surrounding them finally won the battle and lulled her to sleep.

She'd kick his ass tomorrow.

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End of Part 1
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