Characters: Sam Anders and Sharon Agathon
References Athena/Helo and Kara/Anders
Spoilers through Occupation. Set in the "Missing Year".
Notes: It's a tiny little vignette, but it lays some of the ground work for "A Consensus of Two" which I'm about to post. This particular 'verse is based on the little nods to a Sam and Sharon friendship, particularly their hug and teasing in Exodus.
Acceptance
"This is for you," Sam brought his arm from behind his back and held out the bottle toward Sharon. She took it, arching a brow at him curiously. He grinned at her. "Sharon Agathon. I thought the bride should have a present. It's traditional."
She looked down at the full bottle, and the twist of wire someone, probably Sam himself, had put around the neck and tied into a bow. The gesture made a small hard lump form in her chest and her eyes suddenly felt hot. Silly, to almost cry over a bottle of Chief's hooch.
Her grip tightened, and she bit her lip so she could find her voice. "Thank you, Sam."
"You're welcome. I wanted to bring one to the wedding, but uh," his expression shifted away guiltily, "Kara and I drank it on the way up."
Sharon laughed, and shook her head at him. "Why am I not surprised?" She hefted the bottle. "Let's go crack this open and celebrate. I'm not the only one who got married."
"I promised Karl I'd play pyramid with him when he gets off duty," Sam tried to demur and she punched him in the arm.
"Then I definitely have to get you drunk or you'll wipe the floor with him, and then he'll be cranky." She couldn't resist a smile and a tease, "Although Kara says you're a cheap date, so it probably won't take much."
He mock glowered, but accepted the challenge as she knew he would. "We'll see who drinks who under the table, Mrs. Agathon. Though I think Cylons have an unfair advantage," he whined, but it had no bite at all, holding nothing of the barb she was accustomed to hearing, even from Starbuck. Helo's voice didn't, of course, but then he rarely teased her about being a Cylon.
How did Sam accept her so easily, after all he'd seen and done? She had no illusions that he hadn't killed other Eights before, but here he was, bringing her presents and ribbing her like he would Starbuck. It was something precious, and she wondered how she could ever give him anything so important in return. Hopefully being his friend was enough, because that was all she had.
"I have no advantage that your six inches and fifty pounds don't make up for," she retorted and started down the corridor. "You coming, pyramid boy?" She waved the bottle at him. "There's another in my quarters if we run out. Come on, we've got to get a head start, or Karl and Starbuck will drink it all."
He hurried after her. "Good point."
As they walked, she marvelled that she should be here, a Cylon walking the corridors of the Galactica with her friend, the leader of the Caprican rebellion. Two years ago they would have killed each other without a second's thought, and now she would defend him, and she was sure he would do the same for her.
Everything in her life had changed, again, and finally for the better.