Coding: Roslin/Lee, Lee/Dee
Spoilers: Lay Down Your Burdens (Part 2)
Disclaimer: I think the characters should be confiscated from Ron D Moore & co and given to me. Until that time, Ron D Moore and his people own their collective asses.
Oasis
She's the other woman, again. Not by choice, but by the God's design.
Every month Lee takes shore-leave on New Caprica. Under the cover of night, he sneaks into her tent; slips into her bed and they make love.
Laura can't remember how it started, nor does she know why he keeps returning to her, just that he does.
Her body bends to his and Lee revels in the feel of her under his fingertips. Their flesh and souls merge and he buries himself in her, buries his hopes and fears, stores them deep within her – where they will be safe.
He shares everything with her so naturally. With Dee, it takes so much effort… Dualla always needs reassurance; even the simple things are a chore.
He laughs with Laura, fights with her, shares his dreams and doubts. She is an extension of himself. He could not function without her.
They have a morning ritual - he gives her a present, an amulet to add to the charm bracelet he had given her after their first night together; Laura wears it always. He adds the amulet, then kisses her goodbye and she slips a note into his coat pocket – he usually reads it on the flight home or in a snatched moment of solitude aboard The Pegasus, when his arms ache to hold Laura and he knows there are 26 more days before he can.
The dawns light steals into Roslin's tent and he must go. Lee strokes her cheek, ignores the sadness in her eyes and turns his back on her. A month seems a lifetime away, but duty calls.
Laura watches him go; she never asks him to stay and he never asks if he can stay.
She's sure Dee knows. How could she not? She would feel guilty – but Dualla gets to have Lee with her every day, while Laura only has stolen moments with him.
Lee makes his way through the bustling marketplace, nodding at people who used to be a part of his crew. He heads for the transport ship – Dee will be waiting for him - he forces himself to keep going. He hates his life aboard The Pegasus, hates Dee's clinginess, hates the slow suffocation, but there are expectations that he must fulfil.
Laura is his only escape, her arms his only comfort. She is a haven, an oasis in the desert of his existence.
He arrives at the transport ship, nods at the pilot and boards. He sits by the window and looks out at the colonial settlement. He can see Roslin's tent through the porthole. He imagines her getting ready for work – bathing, dressing, brushing her hair. He closes his eyes and pictures her; her image strengthens him - he can endure anything if he has her in his thoughts.
He opens his eyes and reaches into his coat pocket for her note. He unfolds it and in her elegant handwriting are the words, 'Even when you're not here, you surround me.'
Lee smiles and slips the note into his shirt pocket – nearest his heart.
He feels the plane engines fire-up and grips the arm rests as the aircraft takes flight, taking him away from the planet's surface and Laura. He feels the tension in his stomach; feels the knots tighten.
Dee meets him at the docking bay – she rushes towards him with open arms, as if he's been gone a year. She kisses him and pretends she can't smell Roslin's perfume on his clothes, pretends a part of her doesn't die every time he spends the night with that woman.
Lee holds Dee in his arms, the familiar sinking sensation returns and he repeats the mantra "just a month" in his head to keep it at bay.