Summary: Set before Baltars' trial, spoilers for season 3.

Disclaimer

I do not own any of the characters below – I am only borrowing them – and will not be financially benefitting from the story in anyway. No copyright infringement is intended.

Not Real – Chapter 1

Late one night aboard Galactica, after a long day of meetings, Bill lounged back against his couch. His right ankle crossed over his left knee as he ran his eyes down the list of security plans that would be in situ for the duration of Baltars' trial.

They were just days away from the opening statements and tensions were running incredibly high - most notably of all, in a certain President.

The last time they had spoken, Laura had eluded the fact that she would like to discuss 'those times' they had spent together on New Caprica. After their afternoon meeting had finished late and since both of them had been knee deep in reports all week, it was a great excuse for Bill to offer Laura the use of his quarters to finish her work.

That was over four hours ago.

After 'that' conversation, when inviting her to his quarters, sitting at opposite sides of the room rummaging through reports wasn't exactly what Bill had in mind.

"I can feel you staring at me Bill," Laura interrupted his reverie, her words spoken with a no nonsense tone. "What?" She peered at him over the top of her glasses, paperwork poised in her hand.

He hadn't realised he had been staring. As he thought of a witty comeback to her question, it got stuck in his throat at her stern glare and he quickly gulped it back down.

"Nothing," He shook his head, adjusted his glasses and returned his eyes to the file.

Laura sighed loudly and continued to review the latest set of requests from Quorum Delegates.

'Like frak they'll get approved, not with the mood she's in today.' Bill thought grumpily as he read the list in front of him for the third time.

Laura had been particularly difficult today – difficult bordering on rude, which was in stark contrast to the flirtatious Laura he had spoken with last week. When she had told him that if the Cylons hadn't come to New Caprica she would have built her cabin, his heart had actually skipped a beat.

After the exodus from New Caprica, they had both decided to put their relationship on hold for the good of the fleet. A relationship between the Admiral and President was unacceptable under colonial law and personal feelings could ultimately jeopardise their chances of finding earth.

That was what they had convinced themselves of anyway.

However as it turned out, trying not to have a relationship and being constantly surrounded by that unresolved sexual tension was equally as distracting to their cause.

Just the promise from Laura that next time she was aboard Galactica they could discuss 'those times' in more detail had made it hard for Bill to focus at all. However after her frosty greeting when she had arrived for their meeting earlier today, Bill wondered if he had misinterpreted her words entirely.

He cautiously chanced another glance in her direction and noticed that Laura had actually stopped working, removed her glasses and was currently rubbing the bridge of her nose.

'I should try to lighten the mood…She looks angry, but that doesn't mean the nights a bust…'

"Can you believe this time last year it was Founders' Day?"

Laura halted her ministrations and bobbed her head, humming in recognition before placing her glasses back on her nose and continuing with her paper work.

"Baltars' speech at the ground breaking…the after party…the weed…" Bill continued, he thought at least that would get a rise from her. Unfortunately it did, but not in the way he was hoping.

"So it is...Happy Anniversary Bill." She said bitterly without looking up from her paperwork.

"Well, that was said like there's cause for celebration," Bill cloaked his hurt behind his own sarcastic retort; treating her remark with the contempt it deserved - they had spent their first time together that night under the New Caprican sky.

"What did you expect?" She looked up at him, wide eyed.

"Doesn't matter. Sorry I said anything."

"And what's that supposed to mean?"

"Your mood Laura." Bill sighed loudly; dropping the file he had been reading on to the arm of the couch and sitting forward, resting his elbows on his knees. "You've been off all day,"

"I'm fine." She answered flatly.

"I'm starting to think it's something I've done or said,"

"Narcissism doesn't become you Bill."

"Right, you sound fine."

"Neither does sarcasm, look," Laura sighed exasperatedly and got to her feet, "I'm just tired okay…I've not been feeling very well lately,"

"What's wrong?" Bill's annoyance quickly turned to concern.

"Nothing I…" She rounded the desk and padded barefoot across the room to Bills bookcase, '…the gym took it out of me the other day and I'm just…I'm just tired that's all." She ran her fingers absently over the dusty books.

"Build up to the trial probably isn't helping…you spoken to Cottle?"

"Why would I need to speak to him?" She kept her back to Bill and plucked a random title from the shelf.

'Here we go,' Bill thought, 'the battle of wills ensues.' "Laura…" He wiped a palm over his face.

"I know." She snapped, slamming the book back into place before calming herself, "I went to see him yesterday. He drew some blood…" She added in a small voice, "he said it's probably nothing."

"Probably nothing?" Bill got to his feet and moved to stand behind her. "So, it might actually be something? Why would you keep this from me?" He hadn't meant them to, but his words sounded scolding.

"Because Bill," She spun to look at him, fire in her emerald eyes. "I knew that you would react like this!" She threw her hands up in his face. "Look, I'm a big girl – I can take care of myself." She moved to push past him.

"Like you always do?"

"Sorry?" She stopped and eyed him sideways.

"Diplomacy's the best strategy – keep it quiet so nobody knows. If it isn't voiced then it isn't…" He stopped himself.

"What Bill?"

"It doesn't matter."

She turned to face him fully, crossing her arms over her chest. "I want to hear you say it. "

"Forget it."

"No go ahead, bring out the big guns; hit me where it hurts."

"Laura…"

"It isn't real!" She finished for him, spitting the words in his face. "If I don't tell you, then it isn't real and my cancer isn't back."

"That wasn't what I meant."

"Forget it Bill, I shouldn't have told you."

"You should have, its fine it's...Laura wait!" He grabbed her elbow as she turned to walk away and she looked at him, appalled at his audacity. "I'm sorry I pressed you," He looked into her eyes, willing her to hear him. "I really care about you Laura." he held her gaze, "Don't you see that?"

"Can I have my arm back?" Her response was devoid of emotion.

Bill sighed - dropping her arm and his head simultaneously before moving solemnly back towards the couch and collapsing onto the cushions, defeated.

Surprisingly however, Laura followed him, coming to perch on the coffee table opposite.

"I'm sorry Bill," His eyes followed her hand as she reached out and touched his arm. "It's not your fault."

He raised his eyes to meet hers.

"I shouldn't take it out on you…I guess I'm just…" She looked to the ceiling; her eyes were welling with tears.

Bill placed his hand over hers; it felt freezing cold. "It's okay to be worried, Laura." He gave her hand a squeeze, "It's okay to be afraid."

She looked at him, blinking as the first tear rolled down her cheek. "Is it Bill?" She croaked "I need to remain strong for the fleet and…"

He reached out his spare hand to gently wipe the tear from her face. "Out there…"

She frowned.

"You need to be strong out there." He nodded towards his hatch, "In here," He brought her hand to rest over his heart, "In this cabin with me - you can just be yourself."

She smiled weakly at him and he tugged on her arm, pulling her towards him on the couch and she offered no resistance. She melted into his side and as he wrapped his arm around her shoulders, she dropped her head to rest on his chest.

It felt right, it felt natural.

As he placed a kiss to her hairline she stretched over him to grab the report that he had been reading from the arm of the couch. "What were you working on anyway?"

"Just going over the extra security plans." He rumbled, his lips still pressed against her brow.

"Zarek's concerned there will be mutiny over the trial – he said there could be assassination attempts…"

"Shhh," Bill removed the report from her fingers and set it on the table out of reach. "Not on my watch," He stroked her hair as he internalised, 'Nothing will hurt you on my watch…'

Bill wished his words to be true, but deep down he knew that Laura wasn't afraid of assassination attempts; she was afraid of the one thing that Bill could offer her no protection from – her own body.

A few beats past and they sat in comfortable silence, until Laura eventually broke it.

"Bill," She said sleepily, softly stroking his tanks through his open tunic with her fingers.

"Hmmm?" He pulled her tighter to him.

"I really care about you too."

End Notes:

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