Disclaimer: I own nothing, the characters belong to the Sci-Fi channel and…whoever else produces the phenomenon known as Battlestar Galactica. Please don't sue me!

Summary: Lee muses as he sits by his father's side.

Spoilers: First episode of season 2 is all I've seen so far, so…kind of AU, maybe not.

The Prayers of Lee Adama

By: Taya Henderson

I was sitting in the life station by my unconscious father, something I'd never thought would happen, but there I sat. The medics had done everything they could, and had said my father was lucky. I vaguely remember the conversation. I was just glad that Tigh found it in his heart to let me in here. Dad will have some interesting scars, but no permanent damage. I guess I can thank the gods for that small miracle.

Kara was still unaccounted for, we haven't heard from the stranded raptor, the cylons are closing in, and I can't even bring myself to think about it. All I can think about is Kara. Why does life have to be so complicated? Why can't a best friend just stay a best friend instead of becoming the object of the friend's affection? Why'd she have to creep her way into my heart? Why? Lords of Kobal, but she's beautiful.

That morning on Cloud 9 was wonderful. We were on duty (technically) and planning the security for the summit. Both of us were enjoying the artificial sunlight until Kara whipped out a water hose and started spraying me. We then, of course, got into a water fight. I can't remember the last time Kara and I just goofed off. We used to do it all the time before the holocaust. Well, we changed to uniforms and went off duty. So that's how I got to the bar. Kara was playing cards-I'm good at cards, but I always lose to Kara, so I just decided to drown my sorrows in the first bit of good alcohol I've had in a month. Then the fight broke out. No big deal. We had fun interrogating the prisoner together. It may not have looked like fun, but with little pieces of gutter trash like that guy was, it wasn't hard to enjoy. I think she had more fun than I did. Kara's good. Really. She can crack some of the hardest cases. I think I just scared the mess out of him, which was fun too.

Then that blue dress. Lords of Kobal, I admit it, I was completely floored, and she knew it. Of course, that night was when everything got fraked up, but the beginning was nice. My dad had hinted that my few ragging insults (a day-to-day occurrence with Starbuck) had an effect on what she wore. Let's get things straight here, though. She's a mess. She really is. Kara doesn't like things clean and tidy, she'd prefer them strewn about in chaos. I've noticed that she operates well in chaos.

Then that card game. I was enjoying myself; I had a good hand, and some good people around me. Crashdown and Davis were joking back and forth, Gaeta was losing, as usual, and Dee was just laughing at us boys. Something was different about Baltar, though. Every time he looked at me, I got the feeling he hated me, or wanted me to just frak off and die. At first, I thought it was my imagination, then Kara came in and you could cut the tension with a knife. When she didn't sit down and just glared at Baltar during their stiff exchange, I looked at his face, then hers, and it hit me.

Nothing has ever hit me so hard in my life. I felt like I'd taken a 20 ton nuke to the chest and been slammed into a steel wall. Kara had been with Baltar…I never should have let Baltar cut in. But I wasn't supposed to have feelings for Kara. We are friends-best friends. Then why does it hurt so badly? Why is this pain forming in my heart? And why do I suddenly want to prove to her that I'm better than him?

So I got my chance. I went and talked with her, I was angry, though I really had no right to be. I tried to get her riled, tried to get her to care or apologize-something. I pretty much called her a whore, she said she was a screw up, and she hit me. I hit her back and turned to leave. Everyone was so used to Kara getting into scrapes, but I don't think they expected the two of us to come to blows. I didn't know if our friendship would ever mend.

Then, I found out she was basically going behind my back with the XO with another harebrained scheme, I chewed her out, and she apologized. Then she told me her plan. My mind immediately screamed "no way", but part of me knew that this idea would work. I told her it might get her killed, and she asked me if I would miss her. My heart wanted to yell at her then. Just tell her everything. Tell her that I loved her and didn't want to lose her, tell her that I was sorry I hit her and said all those horrible things to her-I was jealous because I love her. Perhaps thinking is my biggest flaw, because I kept everything in check, following my logical brain, and said, "I need all my pilots Lt., even the screw-ups." Then she apologized, and I had to walk away. I was still mad at her. Mad at her for sleeping with Baltar, mad because she had the audacity to suggest that I didn't care what happened to her, mad that I fell in love with her…I was just plain mad. A few minutes later, I cooled down, and vowed to myself we'd hash everything out after the autopilot test.

Then, of course, she jumped to Caprica, leading me to commit my recent mutiny-that did not help my state of mind at all. Still, I knew it was right. Call it a gut feeling, but I knew sacrificing the government over a ship was ridiculous. We have jumped to relative safety, but we're waiting. Waiting for Starbuck, waiting for Crashdown and Chief Tyrol and Cally-waiting for the cylons to find us. I watched as my dad's chest rose and fell in a slow, but steady, rhythm. I know that there are almost 50,000 lives at stake, but for the moment, I can only concern myself with two. One I know is okay, the other…

I closed my eyes, "Lords of Kobal hear my prayer, bring Kara back to me, I can't lose her…bring her home and bring her home safely. So say I."

"So say we all." Dad said, his voice soft and tired, but not weak. "So say we all."