Title: Belonging

Author: Opal Smith

Characters: Helo/Sharon/Kara

Rating: T

Disclaimer: I own nothing

Beta: My very patient husband!

Author's note: Originally posted at Kindreds as part of collection of stories under the heading - "five times Helo saved Sharon Valerii and one time he didn't" This is a revised version of that ficlet.

"Hot Lips!!"

The mess room erupted in wave of drunken noise, as the CAG, Captain George "Ray Gun" Moore saluted Sharon with his now empty bottle of grog and yelled over at her above the racket,"Hey Hot Lips works for me nugget!"

Sharon was speechless with horror as she sat at the centre of the maelstrom. Hot Lips, the call sign from hell; it would be everywhere, on the raptor, her uniform, and it would follow her for every single day of her military service. Gods she had to come up with something else fast, but her mind was a complete panicked blank.

Sharon was sitting next to Lt Kara "Starbuck" Thrace, who she'd met for the first time the previous day. She turned to Kara hoping for some help but the Lt met her pleading look with a huge toothy smile, "What's your problem...nugget, I'd take "Hot Lips" over "Starbuck" any day…" Kara then slowly slumped forward onto the cluttered table knocking bottles and glasses crashing to the floor as she went.

Then Sharon noticed the big guy who'd been with Kara yesterday was on his feet trying to silence the group.

The CAG staggered to his feet, "Quieten down people, we're making too much noise, Agathon's trying to sleep!"

ECO Karl "Helo" Agathon grinned, taking the expected abusive from his colleagues with good humour. He went over to Kara and crouched down beside her to make sure she was okay. Then he looked up at Sharon and said in a low voice just loud enough for her to hear, "Boomer, how about Boomer as a call sign?"

Sharon thought that that was a call sign she could live with, Lt Sharon "Boomer" Valerii. She mouthed her thanks to Karl and stood up to announce her choice.

The CAG looked for a second like he might just object but then he shrugged his shoulders and laughed, "All right girls and boys, let's gave a big Colonial Fleet welcome to Lt Sharon "Boomer" Valerii!!"