Second Chance
Disclaimer: Not my characters, but I love them.
Starbuck kept looking at Lee for a few seconds, running through her mind what he had said. "You didn't want to come back."
He just stared at the bunk above him.
"Lee, this isn't like you."
"It isn't?" His voice was flat.
She wanted to run. She was afraid. This was really too much for her. But Lee was her friend, wasn't he? She's failed to do the right thing with Zak. Lee needed somebody right now; he needed her. Gods, somebody needed her. She felt a little sick. She was such a frak-up - panic. No. Take a deep breath, Kara.
"Lee, I need you." It just came out without thinking - and it was true.
He turned his head toward her then. "You do?"
"Of course. We all need you. The President needs you; your Father needs you." Oh frak. She saw the look in his eyes. This wasn't the time to back off. She took his hand. A tear ran down her left cheek. "Mostly, I need you, Lee. If you hadn't come back . . . I don't know what . . ." She squeezed his hand.
"I don't know either, Kara. I don't know what I believe any more. Except . . . maybe I did something stupid out there. It was so easy. Maybe what I nearly did should scare me, but it doesn't . . . yet. I wish I could tell you everything is okay now, but it wouldn't be true. On the other hand, you may be right when you tell me I'm an idiot."
She bit her lip, "I'd never forgive you."
"You wouldn't, would you?"
"Never."
He sat up and they held one another.
Dee leaned against the bulkhead and closed her eyes. Then she turned and walked away.