Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters so please don't sue me as I am poor but if you have a penchant for tins of creamed corn, please feel free to sue but must provide your own can opener.
Authors Note: The title of this piece is "Awakening". It's going to be more than the one chapter and I'll update when I can. Feel free to review, all comments welcomed. Beta-d by BossaNovaBaby24, as I have learnt there is no such woman as 'Caprice'. Thanks sis.
The stage lights dimmed slowly as Sharon's eyes opened, a faint giggling drew her attention to the other side of the hall. A small figure was dashing about on the landing above. Straining her eyes, she caught a glimpse of her child through the banisters. "Hera!" The child paused a moment and smiled, before running out of sight. "Hera, stop!"
Sharon mounted the staircase and took them two at a time, the sweat on her palms making her hands slip. She stumbled and fell on the stairs; her body fell back as if in slow motion only to feel hands pressing into her back, holding her up. She spun round in shock to be greeted by the panic stricken face of Caprica 6. Sharon's questioning gaze was answered with a small shrug before yet again her attention was drawn again to her daughter by another playful giggle.
"Hurry to her, something doesn't feel right." Caprica gave Sharon a reassuring nudge up the stairs before hurrying down them and towards the other set, adorning the opposite side of the opera house.
The lights began to flicker and a figure appeared at the top of the stairs, small in stature. As the lights regained themselves, it had vanished. Sharon didn't stop to consider the shadow and climbed the rest of the stairs, searching desperately for another glimpse of Hera. "Hera! Where are you?"
A banging resounded in the distance and Sharon glanced over the rails, eager to see if was from her daughter. From what she saw she hoped not. Hera's shoe lay in the middle of the stage, a spotlight pointed directly at it.
"Sharon!" Caprica's voice called from across the grand hall. "Where is she?"
"I…" Her voice faltered, "I don't know I can't see her anymore!" Lord's of Kobol hear my prayer, protect my child. Sharon looked up stunned as she heard what she was thinking being said by Caprica 6. They paused a moment, watching each other. Giving a weak smile, Sharon descended the stairs and ran for the lone shoe. When she reached it, she held it up to what remained of the light before realising it wasn't one of Hera's. She rubbed it in her hand gently for a moment, before turning to address Caprica. "Can you-" Her words were cut short as a figure loomed beside her, she dropped the shoe as an arm swung round towards her and everything fell black.
"HERA!" The scream woke Helo as he curled up deeper under the covers, and an arm swung across and connected with his head. Letting out a groan he watched as Sharon shot up in bed, sweat running down her body. She looked panicked and Helo reached out, half expecting his arm to be torn from his shoulder.
"Sharon? Are you okay?" Her eyes closed slowly and wiped away the beads of sweat on her forehead, dragging her knees up in bed to rest her arms on. "Another nightmare?"
She regained her breath and shook her head as if trying to rid herself of the thoughts. "Yeah, something like that." She glanced over at Hera sleeping soundly in her cot, admonishing herself for panicking yet again, but fearing that she could do nothing to stop it.
"Look you've been having dreams like this for a while. You wanna talk about them?" He rubbed her back soothingly but Sharon shook her head and moved away from his arm. Hurt, he lowered it back down to rub his own weary eyes. If it wasn't Hera screaming for attention at night it was Sharon, he didn't know which one he preferred.
Sharon climbed out of bed and began to change, slipping on her colonial uniform and moving over to Hera's cot. "Where you going?" Helo asked from the bed, lowering the covers himself and getting ready to change. Noticing this, Sharon raised a hand to stop him.
"There's something I need to do first, ok. Then…" She paused momentarily, a deep look of consideration on her face. It finally softened and she bent down to plant a soft kiss of his lips, "Then I'll tell you about the dream." She turned on her heel and stroked Hera's hair before leaving the room and locking it tight. Helo frowned at the unusual gesture but quickly settled back into bed, relishing the peace before Sharon's return.
…
Curled up on the metal bed, Caprica 6 grimaced at the feel of the springs through the old mattress as they stuck into her side. She rolled over onto her back, staring at the dank ceiling that loomed over her. God I would do anything for a different view… then realising the airlock may be considered a 'different view' she quickly admonished her thoughts and rolled over again to face the door, only blocking the door was Sharon Valerii. Caprica quickly sat up and offered a small smile, "Guess you couldn't sleep either."
"Not after what happened tonight." Sharon moved closer as a guard dragged in a chair, placing it a safe distance between the two. "What do you remember of it?"
Caprica pulled a strained face and shrugged, "Not much. I remember the shoe, then I headed down to the stage and you were gone. I think I saw the President though." At the mention of Roslin, Sharon's eyes widened. There was only one other person in that room with them, the one who had attacked her. It couldn't have been the president. "Have you spoken to her yet?"
"No." Sharon answered quickly, "She really needs the time to rest." She referred to the latest fleet news, the President's cancer had returned. "I don't think it was her I saw. They were much bulkier and had a swing on them. She couldn't have done that."
A guard came and knocked on the door, signalling that Sharon's time was up. She stood up slowly, considering the cylon in front of her. "They won't put you out of the airlock." She offered. "Whilst the dreams are continuing, you're safe."
"And when they stop?" Caprica asked, her head hanging low, as if to be executed.
"Be as helpful as possible." Sharon moved towards the door and vanished. The guard removed the chair and sealed the door tight, watching as Caprica lie back down gently, and attempt to resume a fitful sleep.
…
"It all happens so quickly." Sharon sat on the edge of the bed, Helo beside her holding her hand gently and rubbing it. His eyes were sympathetic and Sharon felt the most at ease since the dreams had begun. "There's an opera house, and Hera's lost. She's running around and I can't find her."
"It sounds like a dream most mothers might have." He offered gently, unsure how to help his wife.
"No it's different. I'm not the only one in the dream." She looked into his eyes trying to gauge his reaction, wary about mentioning the other two participants. "Caprica and Roslin are there too. And they know they're there. I think they're trying to help protect Hera too."
"Why would they be helping protect our daughter?"
"Concerning Caprica, I don't know yet. She hasn't said, but the President … with her cancer she needs Hera to survive. This dream was different though Helo, there was someone else there trying to get to Hera." Sharon stood up and began pacing, her mind racing through all the possible suspects. "They were trying to harm her."
Helo now stood up and took hold of his wife firmly. "I won't let anything happen to Hera and you know that, don't you? To either of you. To be honest, if something happened to you two…" Sharon's mind reeled back to the night on Caprica with Helo in the rain, reassuring her with the exact same words. "I wouldn't know what to do." She smiled up at him, both their eyes glinting with tears. "I promise."
Burying her head on his shoulder, she breathed out a sigh of relief. "I know you won't. We know." She held on to him tightly and he placed a kiss on the top of her head, his embrace protecting her as it had always done.
…
Laura Roslin paced the enormous hall, only the sound of her footsteps on the stage floor apparent. Not even the giggling of little Hera. Something was different. Roslin mounted the stairs, her hand feeling moisture on the banister as she slid it up to balance herself. "Hera? Are you in here?" The sound of her heels on the carpet the only answer.
"Sweetie, where are-" Roslin turned and a figure stood in front of her. "Oh!" She exhaled in surprise. "I wasn't expecting you here Chief."
Tyrol smiled and stared at the President, his hands rubbing nervously together. "Have you seen Hera about?"