Laura and Bill finish their walk down the Memorial Hallway and then they head back to their quarters. Laura still has her arm hooked through Bill's arm when they reach their quarters. She is a little unsteady on her feet now, not too much, but Bill can still notice it. Every time they walk together now, he instinctively puts his arm out for Laura, not wanting her to fall. He has come to care for her, more than he thought he would when he put her in the brig lifetimes ago.
When they reach their quarters Laura says to Bill, "Honey, I'm going to go walking tonight, alone, I'd like some time to think. The halls won't be too crowded tonight, will they?"
"No, they won't. What do you need to think about? And you won't be alone, your guards will be with you."
"You know, sometimes I wish my guards would just leave me alone. And, I just need to think about some stuff. I would rather not tell you." She is trying to be as sweet as possible so she doesn't make Bill mad, but it doesn't really work.
"Fine, Madame President," he says, in a formal tone that hints he is mad at her for making him stay out of it. She looks into his eyes and she sees anger trying to be hidden in their depths, but she lets it go.
They both sit down at their small table and eat dinner. Once they are both done, Bill cleans up the dishes and asks her, "What time do you think you will be back?"
"I don't know, but if it gets too late you can go to sleep. You have my permission not to wait up for me."
"Alright, but try not to be too long," Bill says. He sits down on the brown, leather couch and picks up a book. She leaves him, still in her presidential suit, without saying anything else. She decides to take a long walk, figuring he would need time to cool off from what she said to him.
She makes her way through the long corridors of the Galactica with her guards a few steps behind her. As she thought earlier, there is no one roaming the corridors of Galactica tonight except her and a few others. It is rather silent when she stops walking, and tonight's walk has led her to the Memorial Hallway, right where she wants to be. It is silent and it makes a good place to think.
She takes a few more steps, and that is when she spots Kara, sitting on the floor against the wall with her knees bent up towards her chest. She is sitting completely silent with her eyes open. Laura is thinking, 'Is she asleep?' She sends a waving gesture over to her guards to leave her alone, and they silently obey.
Suddenly, Kara realizes that Laura is there and she says, "Hey, Madame Prez," while trying to get up. Laura motions for her to just stay down and she slides down next to her, very unpresidential like, but she doesn't care, right now she is just trying to be Laura. She reaches her arm around Kara's shoulders and pulls her close. Kara leans her head down on Laura's shoulder and can feel the soft strands of Laura's wig on the side of her face.
"What are you doing down here this late?" Laura asks, while rubbing Kara's arm. Kara is almost positive that she can feel Laura's hand slightly shaking on her arm, but she doesn't say anything about it because she knows that this is just one of the weakening side effects of cancer.
"I was just thinking about some things. I needed some time in silence."
Laura chuckles, "Funny. That is the same reason why I came down here. And because I needed some time away from Bill, he has become a bit too caring."
Kara turns her head and raises her eyebrow, but then she lays her head back down and says, "Why do you say that?"
"It's just…. Bill always has to ask me how I am feeling and if he should get me anything. I guess, I'm just kind of tired of it. Tired of it all." Laura continues rubbing Kara's arm.
"You know, Laura. Wait, can I call you Laura, just for this once?"
Laura chuckled and said, "Yeah."
"Alright, Laura. I think it's time for a talk." Laura started to laugh, but stopped when she realized that Kara was being completely serious. "Oh, okay," Laura said.
"I know that we have had our doubts in each other, but I think we're over it, right?" Kara felt Laura nod. "I think it's time you should know something about your Bill. His wife left him years before the cylon attack, but only a few years before the attack, his son, Zak, was killed in a viper training accident. He had lost everyone he loved, his wife and his two sons. See, Lee blamed his father for killing Zak and never spoke to him after the funeral until the day of the decommissioning ceremony. Lee absolutely hated his father after that accident, but now he is coming around. Right now, Bill is head over heels in love with you, everyone can see it, and he just can't take any more loss. Everyone he has ever loved has been pulled out from under him. He really cares about you, and if you just want to die without fighting, you are going to absolutely kill him. Emotionally and physically. You know what happened when he found out that Saul is a cylon, well, you dying will be a thousand times worse than that for him. He loves you so much."
Laura had to clear her throat because tears were threatening to spill over. She was silent for a few minutes until she had control and then she said in a shaky voice, "I did not know that. Thank you, Kara, for sharing that with me."
Kara sensed that Laura was ready to get up so she got up and held out her hand for Laura to take. Laura took her hand and pulled herself up. "Thank you," Laura said.
"Oh, and one more thing Laura. You never have to feel like you don't have a family. Even though we have had our arguments and fights, you have always felt like a mother to me. The old man is not the only one that loves you around here."
"Thank you, Kara. And for the record, you have felt like a daughter to me. I love you."
With that, Laura pulls Kara in for a motherly hug, one they thought they would never get the chance to have. Laura kisses the top of Kara's forehead and turns to leave, but turns back when Kara starts to say something, "Laura, thank you."
"For what?"
"For just being you, and for loving my father, and for loving me."
Reviews=Love!