They Had Felt Them All

Disclaimer: I own nothing related to Battlestar Galactica.

Summary: On this day, Laura Roslin spent twelve hours running the gamut of emotions only to find they didn't stop when her world regained its balance.

A/N1: The M rating is for chapter two.

A/N2: Enjoy! Leave a review if you feel so inclined. They are ever so appreciated. #TodayIsLife

~~~~~PT~~~~~

Emotions are a normal part of anyone's day but usually they're spread out, not all of them equally as strong, and one has time to recover between bouts. On this day, Laura Roslin spent twelve hours running the gamut of emotions only to find they didn't stop when her world regained its balance.

Smelling coffee and seeing the reaction on Saul's face to her walking around in a robe evoked a bit of the mischief she shared with only a select few. She'd gone back into President-mode while speaking with Bill about Lee and the Quorum only to reign herself in and tease him about his reaction, his passive-aggressive silence. Her smile always made him smile and he found himself laughing more often since she'd moved back in. Flirting before he left for work had Laura feeling happy and carefree.

Unbeknownst to her that would all change quickly enough.

In CIC, Adama was in charge until Gaeta decided to relieve him of command for the pact he'd made with the Cylons. Consorting with the enemy, providing services to the enemy; there was any number of charges Gaeta and Zarek had cooked up while planning their mutiny. An honorable man died trying to protect his Admiral and that just angered Adama more than he already was by the betrayal he was experiencing.

Overpowering the Marines on the way to the Brig wasn't difficult. Adama could hold his own, even at his age. Add in the concern regarding what was in store for him and his sense of survival was on full display.

Lee and Starbuck showing up at his father's quarters wasn't what Roslin expected that morning after she had gotten ready for her day. Finding out CIC had been taken over, that in truth Galactica had been taken over, had her immediately concerned for Bill's safety. Regardless of what she and Lee thought of each other professionally, personally he repeatedly reached out to protect her and for that, she was always grateful.

Tyrol offering them a way out meant one thing. Roslin knew how Adama thought and acted in times of crises. Lee had hope but Laura knew how Bill would want this to go, she knew what she had to do. A sense of obligation set in and, regardless of the outcome, her next steps were set into motion.

Playing on Baltar's never-ending sense of survival above all else, she was able to communicate with the fleet while Lee and Starbuck went in search of his father. Bill was her only concern as she took action to calm the members of the fleet and stop the revolution aboard her boyfriend's beloved ship.

Meeting in the abandoned hold, destroyed during the war, had both Laura and Bill lost for words. Those first moments together required only action, despite the presence of others who were either uncomfortable or intrigued by their public display of affection. This was perhaps their last good-bye and the embraces, kisses and misty eyes all spoke for the words that wouldn't come. That is until she told him she was only there for him, because she knew what he had to do and didn't want him to worry about her. Laura was concerned if Bill worried about her safety, he'd be distracted. He might be less inclined to protect himself as well as he normally would unless she was safely on the Cylon base ship. It was difficult for her to leave when the possibility of never seeing him again was all she could think about. Though his sadness showed, so did his determination. She left knowing he'd give it his all; it comforted her.

The worst farce of a trial ever faced Adama upon being recaptured. Despite what he knew would be the outcome, he was determined to go down his way. Found guilty by Zarek, against the protests of his attorney Romo, Bill knew the firing squad was his next destination. The one thought that gave him peace was that Laura was safe.

Convincing the Cylons took more energy than she'd thought it would. They were a hard bunch once they took their votes and come to agreement on something. Her love for the man as she spoke of Adama was plain for all to see. Her belief in him was also. The strength she displayed under pressure impressed at least some of the Cylons. Leoben liked what he saw and heard from her enough to help her communicate with the fleet once more.

Lee and Starbuck were able to save his father from the horrible fate Tyrol was worried he'd meet at the hands of the mutineers. The tide had turned and Bill was filled with hope of seeing his beloved Laura again.

Zarek remembered too late what an adversary Roslin could be when she set her mind to something. He wanted her to surrender; she refused. He thought her weak spot would be Adama's death and so he told her the firing squad had killed him. Grief hit her strong enough to knock her down but then the anger set in and Zarek had not planned for that. Anger and rage in a woman grieving the loss of the man she loved would be hard to contain and Zarek would learn that Roslin's emotions were not to be played with in his mutinous war.

The threats that came out of her, the hate spewed with every word spoken, was nothing he'd prepared for and when she threatened to come after him and destroy them all, his confidence lessened. To make up for how uncertain he felt, the terrorist in him came to the forefront; he was on a battleship after all and planned to use it to his full advantage. The fact the Cylon base ship was far superior to the Galactica seemed not to occur to him; if it had, he ignored it. One thought sat in his mind. He now had one pissed off woman coming after him utilizing her title as President, the respect many people still had for her, and the Cylon's weapons available to her to seek revenge for killing the man she loved. As calm as he was on the outside, Zarek knew he had screwed the pooch with Roslin.

Gaeta eventually figured out he'd made a deal with the Devil and when the time of reckoning was upon them, he gave up the fight. Zarek lost control and demanded action by him and the Marines but the man who'd lost his leg thanks to the bullet of a Cylon was done fighting the war he'd help create.

As Adama walked through the corridors, the speakers blared with Zarek announcing his death to Roslin and her reaction. He couldn't help but smile with pride at the fierceness she was displaying. Then, hearing her threaten to come after all of them, he realized what she was planning and the need to speed up their pace to regain control of the CIC took hold. Once there, he immediately picked up the comms, announced himself and told Roslin to stand down.

She didn't need to hear his tag, Galactica Actual, to know it was him. His voice was all it took. Relief washed over her like a wave on a rock and the tears stung her eyes. He was alive!

The adrenaline was draining from her body as she returned home but the need to see him for herself sustained her, enabled her to keep it together until he was there, right in front of her when she came down the ladder. The thought of losing him became too much for her in that instant. The tears threatened to fall as she touched him, as she assured herself he was real. Afraid to completely lose control of their emotions right there in the corridor, they had to get back to his quarters quickly.

Along the way, another emotion hit her. One she hadn't expected and wasn't prepared for and thus it claimed more power than the others in that precise moment. Laura Roslin felt a tremendous sense of guilt.

[TBC]

A/N3: Thanks for reading!