Author's Note: My psyche can't seem to get over AR especially given their ending in Season 4, so my muse came up with this - a happy memory for them to share and maybe make some peace with their ending. This is set during the early days of settlement on New Caprica before the disillusionment set in. I know there are loads of fics out there about AR's time on New Caprica, especially on the scenes from 'Unfinished Business', but this is just my little contribution to the fandom. If anyone is interested - iodine is used to test for the presence of starch in cells and turns from purple to brown when it comes into contact with starch stores. I don't normally write songfics but this one just seemed to settle in my mind as being an ideal AR scenario. Complete fluff, really! The lyrics are in italics. Happy Reading =]
Disclaimer: Battlestar Galactica belongs to R.D Moore and 'A Theory' belongs to the amazing Tracy Chapman. I am just borrowing the characters and the song for a little while, just to play. I promise to return them all in one piece!
A THEORY
Laura Roslin set her pen down and slowly slid her glasses off. She gently massaged her temples with a sigh of relief for having come to the end of marking another pile of homework. The school had only been open two weeks and she was amazed at how quickly she had slipped back into her schoolteacher persona. The transition for her had been effortless; granted, seeing Baltar parading around still made her gut clench, nevertheless it provided a much needed source of energy to immerse herself in her teaching duties. The simple truth of the matter was that she was enjoying being a teacher again. It was certainly simpler than dealing with a Quorum of 12 angry people and political intrigue. Stormy blue eyes suddenly presented themselves to her mind's eye. She quashed the swell of loneliness rising in her as her thoughts strayed to the people on Galactica she had seen everyday. She missed them but she forced herself not to linger on those thoughts and pulled the next pile of assignments towards her.
Hmmm, she thought noticing that it was the 8th Grade's biology experiments, this should be interesting. She remembered that some of them had proposed quite interesting ideas when it came to adding iodine to starch testing and plant germination. Just what we need, she thought, fresh input from young minds on how to move forward as a civilization. She hunkered down further into the creaky chair and began marking.
She came to end of a promising paper and sighed in satisfaction at the student's good work. The window flap of the tent fluttered from a sudden gust and Laura found her eyes drawn to the window where the setting sun seemed to be showing off all the hues of orange that one could possibly imagine. A phrase of the student's planted itself in her mind 'It's just a theory'.
She sat outside the school tent in the growing twilight her eyes moving between watching the tangerine tinted sky narrow into a bright orange ribbon on the horizon and the dusky blue of darkness settling around New Caprica. The colours made her think of fire and ice, Bill and Laura, President and Admiral. She snorted at her line of thought – Just a theory indeed!
It's just a theory
There's a possibility I am wrong
She had hoped that since she was just an ordinary civilian again she would be able to live a 'normal' life and that her blossoming feelings for a certain Admiral would come to fruition, especially after the night they had spent together after the Groundbreaking Ceremony. However, his burgeoning absence as time moved along made her doubt herself. What if the simple bliss they experienced while stargazing curled up together was nothing but the inevitable result of imbibing too much alcohol and definitely too much weed? What if him reciprocating her feelings or at the very least being attracted to her were just a fool's ruminations?
Yes, his absence at the very least pointed out that there was every likelihood she was a fool. She knew he had been planetside and she couldn't help the little twinge of disappointment in her chest that came with knowing he hadn't made a single visit yet.
A small sigh escaped her lips as her every sense came to life with the memory of that night:
The particular human scent that was all his own, that she wished she could bottle up for these lonely New Caprican nights…
The sight of his chest gently heaving with every breath as she lay against him...
The touch of his mustache tickling her forehead when she felt him smile down at her...
The taste of his lips on the joint as he shared the last one with her…
The caressing sound of his voice as he imagined and pointed out possible constellations to her…
It's just a theory
But I would stake my life
Lay my money down
That you were meant for me
And for you I'm the one
The feeling of happiness that had filled her the next day had made her unbelievably optimistic of their relationship. After their conversations from the previous night she was willing to bet anything, that their being together was merely a few days away. Her theory was that they shared mutual feelings. She was sure of hers and her theory that he felt the same towards her - felt something more for her; that transcended the dimensions of friendship and comradeship…what an enticing theory it was. It was hard not to let her imagination run away with her when a mere memory practically had her swooning. She had never believed in soulmates but then again she had never believed in the Pythia's prophecy either until Elosha came along and although she was no longer the dying leader, she had come to believe that at the very least, she and William Adama were kindred spirits.
It's just a theory
A particular set of assumptions
It's just a theory – her thoughts came full circle. It all sounded so simple: she liked him, he liked her (well she thought he did) and that was that, wasn't it? Yes, oh so very simple, in theory that is.
It's just a theory
An educated guess
A conclusion not forgone
Her mind wandered to all the times she had spent in his company; the little touches shared between them, the teasing, his concern for her body and soul. Surely all these things added up so that one could make an educated guess as to his feelings, surely? Why was this getting so frakkin' hard? She felt like she was complicating things much too much.
"I hope you're not planning on spending all night here." came a soft voice from beside her. She smiled at the newcomer who plopped down beside her. "The last thing we need is Doc Cottle on a rampage AGAIN about people not looking after themselves. I just got the lecture and I don't think you'd fancy this newly edited one of his." The newcomer rolled her eyes heavenwards.
Laura chuckled, "Too true, Dee." She looked at the young woman beside her and noticed the change in her uniform, "I believe congratulations are in order…" she stumbled for the right term with a flash of longing for Billy to run her through the military chain of command just one more time. The rumours were right – she still didn't know much about military protocol.
"Lieutenant, ma'am," finished Dee shyly for her, her gaze dropping quickly to study the ground.
"Thank-you Lieutenant." said Laura warmly, reaching across to give the younger woman a hug. "I believe this calls for a celebratory drink." proposed Laura with a twinkle in her eye as she pulled Dee to her feet, "And lucky for me, tonight is NOT a school night, so we can do a couple of celebratory drinks!"
Dee laughed, "Thank-you Madam Pres…I'm sorry", she swallowed, "Just habit. I'd love that drink Miss Roslin."
"Good, my treat. Or rather, Cottle's treat, I hear that apart from thinking up new expletives, he's built up quite a stash of moonshine with all his new found free time."
A couple of hours later saw Laura Roslin, Anastasia Dualla and Jack Cottle sitting in companionable silence that alternated with humourous nostalgic recollections, until the hour was late and 'Goodnights' were inevitable.
Laura awoke the next morning contented and happy as she thought about the night before. It was sad how commonplace things like a drink with friends, were now such rare and unusual moments that they had to be treasured and awed. The morning was spent traipsing through the muddy, humid market looking for groceries. She did not feeling like continuing the losing battle of trudging through mud so Laura decided to take the scenic route home, well if the walk past Baltar's lair could be called scenic! She put on her best school teacher scowl as she approached Colonial One only to notice a fuming Admiral Adama walking towards her. His left arm clenched against his chest and a large folder under his right arm. He clearly hadn't noticed her yet and she could see his lips mouthing words furiously to himself as he looked over his shoulder towards Colonial One. "Bloody civilians!" he cursed under his breath before stopping just short of her.
"Laura?" he ducked his head to get a good look at her. Gone were the presidential heels, which meant that she was more than a head shorter than him. She noticed how the fury in his eyes was gone and in moments replaced by something infinitely softer. The hard blue replaced by the azure blue of a Tauron summer sky. For a moment she felt her chest compress as she struggled to inhale. His left hand reached out to steer her towards the edge of the gangway where they could converse in relative privacy.
Oh nothing's new under the sun
I will postulate
Ask for your consideration
Ask you out on a date
"How have you been?" he asked kindly, almost apologetically.
She almost felt guilty about the hang-dog expression he wore so beatifically. A tiny voice in her head whispered to her to try her theory out. Godsdamnit! She realised he was still waiting for her to say something.
"Good, thanks. How are you, Admiral?" she hadn't meant it to come out so coolly but it had.
"I'm sorry I haven't seen you very much since the ceremony." Blue eyes pleaded with hers.
She shrugged her shoulders as nonchalantly as she could, "I'm sure you've been busy."
"You have no idea." He replied with a rueful smile, cocking his head towards Colonial One.
She couldn't help but smile back at him. The little voice became louder and grew into a feeling that was threatening to burst out of her chest. Honestly, how hard could it be? she thought to herself, growing more tempted to proposition him. He was feeling guilty; his body language was practically screaming apologies. A thin film of perspiration, that had nothing to do with the sun, broke out on her forehead.
Although it can't be sure
Why not act on a hunch
Oh why not search for proof
Why not go out for lunch
"Can I interest you in some lunch, Admiral?"
He looked taken aback and for a split second where she felt her stomach plummet into her shoes, she thought her theory was going to be proven wrong with a resounding 'No'.
He shifted the folder tucked under his arm and for a moment she could swear that she could see his responsibilities physically bearing down on his shoulders.
"I know this great spot by a stream flowing into a lake as clear as glass." She cajoled a little further, knowing her voice was taking on a ridiculous pleading tone but she didn't care. She was tired of surviving. She was yearning to live.
And in theory, I could propose
And in theory you could affirm
Oh that you were meant for me
And for you I'm the one
"Please, Bill?" her voice dropped a tone further because her next words were for his ears only, "We've got a break, remember?"
He cast another glance over his shoulder and sighed. "Meet you back here in an hour?" he asked in a low voice.
She smiled and flashed him the toothiest grin ever, "Meet me behind Cottle's hospital tent in an hour."
He nodded, his fingers slowly tracing their way reluctantly down her arm. "In an hour then."
She hurried back to her tent, her mind already making a checklist of what she needed.
Two hours later as they made their way up the last slope, William Adama had to admit to himself that he needed to spend a couple of more hours a week at Galactica's gym. He was ridiculously tired and out of breath for such a simple hike. He held out a hand to Laura to help her over a ditch. She didn't let go of his hand and pulled him along, roughly behind her so that they both stumbled through the final frontier of vegetation and found themselves standing in a lush green clearing that outcropped onto a stream.
"Wow." was all he managed to stammer out. It felt good to be made speechless by nature's awe after so long.
"Just remember, I found it first, Admiral." mocked Laura, pleased at his reaction.
"Yes ma'am!" he laughed, giving her a small salute in return as he dropped the picnic basket he had been carrying.
She squeezed his hand and led him towards the stream which looked deceptively small and shallow, so that they could watch it flow into the small lake. There was a line of trees on the far side of the bank that acted as a natural windbreaker.
"You're right," he whispered not wanting to break the calming hush around them, "It is like looking through glass."
She smiled, automatically bending her head to rest against him as he pulled her closer. A rumbling sound caught her attention, "When did you last eat?!" she asked in an exasperated tone.
He shrugged his shoulders good-naturedly. "It's not like I'm going to starve any time soon, Laura." he replied rubbing a hand across his tummy before undoing the top button and clasp of his jacket. "Gods it's hot up here."
"Here." she handed him her canteen. He took generous swigs. She left his side to get the small picnic basket.
"Oh, look what I found? This is for you." he handed her a rectangle wrapped in brown paper, "Been saving it for a special occasion."
Her eyes widened and shone when she unwrapped it. "Chocolate! Gods Bill, I think I'm the happiest woman alive at the moment." She impulsively kissed his cheek and couldn't fail to notice the red flush creeping above the collar of his jacket. "Where did you find this?"
"Ahh, now that is confidential." he smiled slyly, tapping the side of his nose.
"Thank the gods for the military!" she chuckled.
"Mind if I look around?"
She shooed him away with her hands as she looked around for their picnic basket, the bar of chocolate held tightly against her chest. Laura busied herself with lunch so he took the canteen with him to fill it up from the stream.
"Frak!" was the exclamation she heard minutes later, followed by a much louder 'Frak me!"
I'd love to try that, Bi- the thought disappeared when a splash resounded in the air.
"BILL?!" she ran to the outcrop, panic searing through her until her eyes found him.
She laughed at the sight of him treading water, "You just couldn't stay away from those alluvial deposits, huh, Admiral?" she pointed to the silt in his hands
"Laura, those are the only pair of spectacles I own." he growled before his head dipped below the water's surface.
She laughed harder and had to sit down to catch her breath. He surfaced moments later and raised an eyebrow in her direction, grimacing as the silt in his palm dissolved in the water around him, leaving his glasses in hand.
"You found them," she giggled again. "Sorry, sorry," she held out her hand in an effort to stop herself from laughing but failed miserably. He was reminded of the time she had been practicing for her presidential debate and had gone into hysterics.
"Sorry," she shook her head in an attempt to think clearly as he hoisted himself out of the water. "So what happened?" she asked as innocently as she could.
"Damned glasses fell out when I was re-filling the canteen." he huffed, sitting down beside her. "Frak, I'm a mess aren't I?" he asked looking down at his soaking clothes, running a hand through his dripping hair. That sent her over the edge again and she burst into another fit of giggles and this time he collapsed backwards onto the grass and joined in with her too.
It was difficult to tell how long they lay in the grass, sun beating down on them, laughing till their sides hurt. They eventually staggered to their feet. He stripped off his jacket, socks and boots and put them on one side to dry in the afternoon sun. "Nothing I hate more than cold, wet feet." he grumbled to her whilst enjoying the feeling of being barefoot in the grass.
She handed him a sandwich and as they ate they talked about the Galactica and the Pegasus and steered well away from the topic of Gaius Baltar and his presidency. After they finished their sandwiches, they regarded each other in silence. It was beginning to become awkward.
"Since you brought the chocolate, I brought the coffee and this." she said reaching into the knapsack and pulling out an item.
"This is new!" he exclaimed taking the book from her to examine its title.
"From our ever expanding 'Library' tent."
"Didn't even realise there was one." He shook his head, not realising until that moment how separated the military and civilian government had become since settling on New Caprica. If they had still been a fleet, he was damned sure he would know about there being a library.
"You haven't really had time, Bill."
He shrugged his shoulders in defeat.
It's just a theory
A series of tests should be run.
It's just a theory although not fully assessed
An idea whose time has come
He leaned back against a tree stump with his small cup of coffee and sipped slowly.
Her sidling up to him, book and chocolate in hand had been inevitable. "You're going to catch a cold." He told her, gesturing at his still damp tanks.
"Yeah, yeah and I'm gonna get Cottle's latest lecture." She rolled her eyes.
He laughed, settling them comfortably against the tree stump as she slid her glasses on and began to read. They were two chapters in when she noticed that he was trying his best to suppress his yawns.
"You're tired," she said softly, taking her glasses off to examine him more closely for the tell-tale signs of fatigue.
"Not as young as I used to be." He deadpanned, jerking his head back to the line of vegetation they had stumbled through earlier.
"Well you know, the kids normally have a nap after they finish story time. It seems like the Admiral could definitely use a nap right now." she teased, wiggling her eyebrows.
"That sounds like a brilliant plan," he confessed, as he closed his eyes and raised his face towards the mid afternoon sun.
"I agree Admiral." She put the book down beside them and broke off a piece of chocolate. "Rest, Bill." she ordered gently as she snuggled further into him after noticing that at some point while she had been reading their legs had become tangled together.
"Thank-you." He murmured against her forehead, "for sharing this with me."
"No, thank-you for coming to share this with me," she responded.
She looked up and gently brushed her lips against his. That was all it took for the spark to ignite the smouldering flames between them as lips crashed onto lips and his arms lifted her up to pull her closer to him.
"What?" he asked a moment later, foreheads resting against each other as they struggled to normalize their breathing.
"Nothing," she smiled, "It's just a theory I had. I'm glad I decided to test it out."
He smiled back at her, his lips millimetres from hers, "Me too." he whispered as she closed the final distance between them.
"What happened to resting?" she asked with a smirk when they broke apart again for air, flushed and gasping.
His hands circled her waist as she practically climbed into his lap, "Oh, I thought we could test the rest of your theory? You know, you being a teacher and all that." he replied mischievously as her hands caressed his bare arms.
She laughed and barely had time to thank her lucky stars that for once, one of her theories had paid off, before she was lost in his embrace again.
It's just a theory
That you were meant for me
And for you, I'm the one.
FIN