Disclaimer: Battlestar Galactica belongs to Ronald D. Moore and the Sci-Fi channel. Memories are in italics. "Falling Slowly," is by Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova, from Eclaire's montage.
On a sinking boat
Part 1: Holding on
It had been a week since the fleet had entered the Ionian nebula to find Kara Thrace, a week since Baltar's trial, and a week since Adama and Roslin had spoken about anything other than business. As he sat at his desk, reading reports, he could only think of her. He stood and headed toward his phone, calling Colonial One, but not Laura.
As he had hoped, Tory answered. "Hello?"
"Tory, I'm coming to see the president, but don't tell her I'm coming. Alright?" he told her.
"Sir, this is a rather odd request…" she began.
"I know. I need to talk to her in person, but I don't want her to say she's busy and turn me out again," he explained.
Tory normally would have turned him out also, but Roslin had been moody and irregularly irritable lately. "I can do that," she replied.
Bill boarded Colonial One half an hour later. He nodded in gratitude to Tory and proceeded to walk into the president's office. Roslin was at her desk bent over pouring through files. She sat up and rubbed her eyes. When she blinked, shock and annoyance registered on her face as she saw him.
I don't know you
"Admiral, I wasn't aware that we had a meeting. I suggest you leave and we can reschedule," she snapped.
"Not good enough," he said as he strode into the room, locking his gaze with hers.
But I want you
She stood, hands on her hips. "Maybe you need your hearing checked. Get out. I have nothing to say to you right now," she stated, pointing toward the door.
All the more for that
"Well then I hope you can listen because I have something to say," he began, stopping at one of the leather chairs in front of her desk and taking a seat. "You've been avoiding me, Laura. I think it's time we talked."
Narrowing her eyes at him, she crossed her arms. "No, Admiral, I think it's time you left."
"Why are you being so obstinate?" he demanded.
Words fall through me
"Why don't you ask Baltar? You chose him over me. You let a traitor loose in the fleet to create who knows what kind of dissension. Don't you think that bears a little responsibility?" she spat.
He sighed, trying to figure out the best way to deal with her wrath. At last he folded his hands and looked up at her as she perched herself on the desk. "The admiral made a decision to put fleet interests and values ahead of his own when he would rather have airlocked the scum. It wasn't about choosing sides, Lee had a point. It was about doing the right thing, and proving that we still have societal systems, that we are more than just a gang."
And always fool me
She looked away. "Why are you here?"
"I've put aside the admiral for the afternoon because I need to talk to you as Bill. If you can listen to me as Laura, then maybe we can get somewhere with this conversation," he remarked.
"Tell me how the Admiral and Bill are two different people, and perhaps I'll listen," she countered.
And games that never amount
He took a deep breath. "The Admiral makes decisions for the fleet and humanity is first. Bill knows the names of everyone he works with. The Admiral takes his ship into battle, knowing that if he had to sacrifice his ship, his life, and the lives of his crew for humanity, he would do it. Bill reads off the names of the dead one by one, saying at prayer for each. The Admiral discusses situations with the president rationally and wants to help her with civilian matters if he can. Bill wants to help Laura personally with whatever she deals with, wants her to lean on him, to trust him again."
To more than they're meant
She had listened to him patiently, her anger slowly melting. "And what does Bill say about the trial?" she had to ask.
Will play themselves out
He reached out and took one of her hands in his. "That I'm so sorry you were hurt. I never expected it to air out everyone's dirty laundry like that, and I never wanted you to be in a position where your cancer was revealed in that way."
Sighing heavily, she stroked the hand holding hers with her thumb. "I know you tried to protect me, but I stopped you. We all have our own demons to face."
"We don't have to face them alone," he conveyed, pulling her toward him.
She was standing right next to where he sat. "I've missed you," she admitted quietly.
Without another word, he pulled her into his lap. She gasped at the sudden movement and placed her hands on his shoulders for balance. Without hesitation, he wrapped his arms around her and drew her into a secure embrace. "Say you still trust me," he whispered.
She pulled back to look into his eyes. The depth of emotion she read in them was unlike anything she had seen before. "I do," she replied.
Take this sinking boat and point it home
"Let's stop wasting time then," he suggested.
Raising an eyebrow, she asked "What do you m-"
He cut her off with a sudden affectionate kiss. She forgot to be angry with him. His lips on hers were the only thing that mattered in those few seconds. She faced him as they broke apart. "Are you serious?"
We've still got time
"Very," he responded with a smile. With a grin, she kissed him back hungrily.
Tory had checked the president's schedule and realized that a few of the Quorum delegates wanted to discuss civilian demographics with her. As the aide entered the room, she thought it odd to see her boss's legs on one side of the chair, and Roslin's head at a strange angle. Then she noticed a familiar pair of boots and rolled her eyes. To confirm her suspicions, she leaned in far enough to see her boss energetically making out with the admiral.
The aide cleared her throat and the couple jumped apart, Roslin quickly standing and moving to the other side of the desk. Tory's stern gaze flickered from Adama to Roslin. Under the younger woman's scrutiny, Laura giggled for the first time in weeks. Bill grinned, watching her.
Raise your hopeful voice you have a choice
As she sighed, she wondered briefly if Colonel Tigh had to put up with similar situations. "I should be telling you two what a bad idea this is. After everything that has happened, if the press finds out, it'll be a bigger scandal than Cloud 9 blowing up, especially after you tried to protect her in court. If the Quorum finds out, they'll be just as ruthless."
"So you're scolding us," Bill assessed.
The young woman shook her head. "I should be, but I'm not. Frankly, Madame President, working with you this past week has me wanting to work from under my desk. This has been the most relaxed I've seen you in days and the two of you work better when you've worked out your problems. I think you two should be discreet, but I won't stop you."
You've made it now
Roslin nodded. "Thank you, Tory."
"I suppose I should be getting back to my ship," Adama stated, heading toward the door. He looked at Laura. "Dinner tomorrow night?"
She smiled broadly. "I think I'd like that, Bill."
Laura caught up to him and tapped him on the shoulder. He turned and the two shared a light, impulsive kiss before he left. As Bill's Raptor docked, Tigh was waiting for him in the hanger bay, having gone to inspect a couple of the Vipers a while earlier. When Adama stepped out of the Raptor, Tigh smirked at the berry color that was smeared around his mouth.
"Must've been some pastry you had," Tigh teased, handing Bill a tissue, knowing full well what was on his friend's face.
Falling slowly, eyes that know me
Bill eyed him strangely and glanced at his reflection in the Raptor's window. "Frak, why did she let me leave like this?" he muttered.
Later in his quarters, Bill's phone rang. "Adama."
"It's Laura. I just realized that you walked out of here wearing my lipstick. I hope that didn't cause you too much trouble," she mentioned.
And I can't go back
He chuckled. "Fortunately Saul caught me before I could get very far. So much for being discreet."
"Oh, I don't believe that we have too much to worry about. Do you want to know what excuse I wrote down on my schedule for dinner with you?" she encouraged.
He smirked on his end. "Now you've got me curious."
"I wrote it down as a meeting for improvement in military and civilian communication," she said smoothly.
They both laughed. "I would love to hear you come up with more excuses," he remarked.
"We shall see," she concluded.
"Indeed," he responded before hanging up.
His plans for dinner had gone surprisingly well. The algae had made for excellent stuffed pasta. He found a packet of sauce mix at the bottom of the drawer for the potholders. Finding something to drink was going to be more difficult though. He figured that he would let her do that part. She arrived right on time, as usual, and slipped her heels off and carefully set her briefcase down as soon as he closed the hatch.
"I have been on me feet all day and I would be thrilled to airlock those shoes if I had comfortable replacements," she remarked.
"Military boots wouldn't look have as nice on you, though," he told her with a chuckle.
Moods that take me and erase me
She blushed, not facing him. Instead her eyes rested on dinner. "Oh Bill, this looks delicious!"
He smiled, watching her as she made her way to the table, her gaze scanning everything with an appetite. "Thank you. I could use your help picking out something to drink though."
"I believe I may have an easy solution to that." Reaching for her briefcase, she removed a blue bottle of liquor.
"Is that what I think it is?" he asked.
"Mmhm," she responded with a mischievous grin. "This is a bottle of Aquarian Blue Whiskey. One of the Quorum members gave it to me when I was reinstated after New Caprica. I couldn't find the right occasion to open it."
"Why now?" he probed.
"Because I realized that mending bridges is an occasion unto itself, and I wanted to share it with you," she admitted, setting her jacket on an arm of the couch.
He pulled her chair out for her and they began to eat. The food had turned out better than he had expected. The blue whiskey went surprisingly well with the meal. "This tastes like a good year," Bill remarked.
Laura picked up the bottle and looked at the date. "It was the year I got my doctorate in education."
Then she handed the bottle to him. He chuckled and shook his head. "It sounds like it was a better year for you than me. This was the year I crashed a Viper into a supply ship. Fortunately nobody except me was hurt."
And I'm painted black
"So you have a long history of inflicting damage on yourself?" she goaded him.
"Something like that," he tossed back.
She shifted positions and his foot brushed something. "Sorry," he stated.
"No problem," she replied. Then something brushed his foot. He looked at her saucy grin and realized that it was intentional.
"You are one devious woman," he told her with a grin.
"I haven't done that in quite a while. I was wondering if it still had it's appeal," she teased.
He raised an eyebrow. "And does it?"
She crossed her legs. "Not quite. Perhaps I'm finally too old for a few things."
Reaching across the table, he gently took one of her hands. "Age has its benefits though. You find better methods of amusement."
Giggling, she took her hand back in order to cover her face with both hands, put her head down, and sit back up, still giggling. He laughed with her and took another sip of his blue drink. Taking a deep breath, she ceased giggling, her eyes still bright from the moment. "I am making lunatic of myself tonight."
You have suffered enough
"It's worth just seeing you laugh like that," his gravely voice mentioned, echoing the last time they had discussed New Caprica.
And warred with yourself
"It feels good to laugh again," she added.
They cleaned up the dishes and headed to his couch after refilling their drinks. She turned to study him. He was the one stable thing in her life, and the one thing that she could rely on was that he did indeed care for her. "Thank you for dinner, Bill," she relayed.
"You're welcome Laura," he told her. "Something on your mind? You look as though you want to say something."
It's time that you won
Setting her drink on the coffee table, she stood and began to pace. "My father was a man who didn't mince words. He would tell me 'If you've got something to say, don't pull punches and ramble; just give 'em a good left hook and say it.' I don't know how long I have, but whatever time I have left I want to spend with you."
She had stopped in front of him. He took both of her hands in his. "Laura, I want you to be happy."
Take this sinking boat and point it home
"With you, I am," she conveyed. She was not entirely surprised when he pulled her into his lap.
We've still got time
Then he framed her face with his hands and kissed her tenderly. She moaned contently and kissed him back. When they broke for air, she sat back slightly to see his face. "I seem to have this bad habit for ending up in your lap these days."
She felt the rumble as he chuckled. "I must be one lucky fellow then."
"You're only lucky if I say so," she retorted with a mischievous grin, swatting his arm playfully.
Raise your hopeful voice you had a choice
He pulled her close again, this time kissing her passionately. He deepened the kiss and she gave in willingly, threading her fingers through his hair. They rested their foreheads together, needing oxygen. "Am I lucky now?"
You've made it now
She giggled again, softly kissing his cheeks, chin, nose, and then his mouth again. "Gods yes," she whispered as her lips crashed into his.
In the morning he had to reach behind him to answer the phone, moving the arm that was not wrapped around the beautiful woman sleeping next to him. "Adama."
Take this sinking boat and point it home
Laura stirred at his voice as he spoke to the person on the other end. "Don't worry. I know exactly where she is. I don't see how- can you wait half an hour? Fine, hold on."
We've still got time
The woman beside him blinked and propped herself up on one elbow. "Is Saul bothering you this early in the morning?"
Raise your hopeful voice you had a choice
He smirked and leaned forward, kissing her warmly. "No. It's Tory and she wants to speak with you immediately."
You've made it now
Laura sighed and shook her head. "I wish she would just learn to be patient. I'm tempted to tell her that I'm not leaving your bed until she agrees to call back in an hour."
Falling slowly sing your melody
"So say we all," Bill joked.
I'll sing along
"I'd better get this over with," Laura commented, reaching for the phone. She cleared her throat. "Tory, I'm right here. Now what is so important that- I see. I spent the night in the guest quarters and I'm having coffee with him. No I-" she paused and glanced at the digital clock "tell him my meeting with him is in two hours and I'm to moving it. Oh really? What? I will see you later. Goodbye, Tory." As Laura ended the conversation, she was giggling.
Bill sat up. "What did Tory say?"
"She said 'You may be a politician, but regarding certain situations, you're a bad liar.'" Laura replied. He laughed too and then they each took showers, preparing for the day.
They sat next to each other, sipping coffee. She sat to his left, holding her cup in her left hand and looping her right through his left arm, resting her head against him. "You do realize that we have just complicated our situation," she mentioned.
Take this sinking boat and point it home
He looked out in front of him, taking a gulp of his coffee. "It was complicated from day one and you know it. I think we've finally clarified a few things."
We've still got time
She set her cup on the coffee table and faced him, unlacing her arm from his. "I want this, Bill, but I don't know how to make it work." She stood and paced slightly.
He stood, walking over to his desk to arrange a few files for her. When he faced her, she stopped pacing. Then he extended his right hand to her, palm up. "I'm willing to make this work if you are," he offered.
Raise your hopeful voice you had a choice
Seeing the sincerity in his eyes, she smiled and placed her hand in his, an acknowledgment of their early meetings, as well as their bridge mending and their new found resolutions. "Okay," she conveyed, squeezing his hand.
You've made it now