Dee stepped off the raptor. If felt good to be back on Galactica. But her return was bittersweet. It was only a month since they jumped away. The flight deck was empty; the whole ship was empty. Only a handful of people stayed behind. They had to jump away. That's what she told herself. They did the right thing. Their first priority was the survival of humanity and humanity was the few hundred thousands scattered among the ships in the fleet. They were going back. The Admiral promised and he never went back on his word.

She walked through the hollowed halls of Galactica. There once was a time where you had to zigzag your way through the halls just to get to the other end. She trailed her fingers along the walls as she walked. She loved the feel of the ship, the sound of her engines humming; even the smell of Galactica comforted her. She loved this ship the first day she stepped aboard. It was the first time that she felt like she belong, to something bigger than her.

"Hello Lt."

Dee looked upped from her thoughts. The Admiral's eyes met her. Dark circles engulfed them. He was getting thin. He was carrying too much. She smiled. "Morning Admiral."

"How's the Pegasus?"

"She's fine. Still finding her way, but she's solid." The Admiral never outright asked about Lee. It was always about how the Pegasus was doing. Lee was the same way. He would ask about Galactica. The Admiral and Lee were a lot alike not that Lee would ever admit it. They were proud, stubborn, carried the weight of the world on their shoulders, and cared deeply about their love ones. "The Pegasus is too quiet. I miss the rumblings of Galactica."

Bill laughed. He touched the wall of the ship. He looked at the ship fondly. "She old but strong." He responded.

"Kind of like someone I know."

He put his hand on her shoulder. "I better let you get to your meeting."

Dee watched him leave. There was a time in her life that the sheer sound of his voice would make her freeze. It didn't take long for that feeling to fade. The Admiral had a way about him that made you feel like family. She wished that her father could have meet William Adama. They would have gotten along. Her father would have seen that not all the military wasn't made up of wined up tin soldiers taking orders blindly. Adama made sure that Galactica felt like home and the crew was family. Dee remembered the first time she got sick. Cottle had put her on bed rest for a two weeks. Adama would come by and check on her everyday and would always bring her favorite desert from the mess.

She reached the conference room where she was meeting Karl. He was sitting at the table working on some paperwork. He didn't notice her come in. She just stood there watching him work.

He looked up from his work. "What?" He warmly smiled.

She shook her head. "Nothing."

He pushed the paperwork aside. "No, I know that look. What's up?"

Dee sat in the chair across from him. She laid down her paperwork. "I was just thinking about the first time we met."

Karl laughed. "Gods…you mean the day that Kara shoulder checked you?"

Dee rubbed her left shoulder. "You know it's never been the same."

"That's why she started calling you Dee right? For defense."

Dee and Karl's weekly meetings were supposed to be about coordinating the fleet's information; star charts, rations, fuel. But they seemed to morphed into catch up time.

Karl and Kara were the first people she met from Galactica. Kara literally knocked her over. They were rushing to catch their transport when she bumped into Dee knocking her over. By the time Karl helped her up and with her bags they had missed the transport out. And the next one out wasn't until three hours later. So they spent their time at the airport bar. She got to know them a little.

Dee was stressed out that her first day of duty she would show up three hours later. Somehow when they reached to Galactica Kara had worked it out. Dee didn't get reprimanded. She never figured out what Kara did to get her out of trouble. She always liked Kara. Kara was the life of the party, made the triad games more fun. Most people saw her behavior as destructive. Dee didn't see it that way. Kara was a survivor. It was in her DNA. She did those things because it was the only way she knew how to survive, to fight until you can't. Dee wished she possessed that fire. "Yeah, funny how the name stuck."

"I guess it didn't help that your last name is Dualla."

"I guess not."

"How's Lee?" Karl asked.

"He's stressed like all of us. He's gaining weight. I had to take out his uniform two inches. He's in a dark place right now…"

Karl placed his hand over hers to comfort her. "Well he has you right?"

"Sometimes I don't think that's enough. He lost his fight."

Karl leaned back in his seat.

"How's Sharon?" Dee tried to lighten the mood. She still had trouble with Sharon. She told herself that the Sharon on Galactica wasn't the Sharon who shot the Old Man. She was different, but not. She looked liked the same girl she walked in on in a compromising position just a few years ago.

She was taking a short cut on her way to chow through one of the causeways. She walked in on Sharon and Chief in the middle of sex. Ever since then the Chief never looked her in the eye. Not even when he needed her help with the com system in the blackbird. He talked to the wires the whole time. Sharon on the other hand had become one of her good friends. They would spend nights talking about nothing. She was the one who confidence her to go see her parents and try to reconcile with her father. Dee felt betrayed by her when it came out that she was a cylon. She had no idea how she missed the mark on Sharon Valerii. But, that wasn't Boomer in the brig. Dee didn't know this Sharon the one that Karl was in love with. And, she wasn't really sure if she wanted to know this one. She couldn't take being betrayed by her again. So, she stayed away.

"She's good." He replied. "I know you have trouble with her."

"Karl."

Karl put up his hand in protest. "She's not like them. She's different. I love her and I know it's crazy, but that's the way it is."

Dee nodded her head. She understood where he was coming from. She found herself doing things that she thought she would never do. Things were that were crazy. She went against the X.O and helped the president escape during marshal law. She took part in rigging the election. She always supported the electoral process, but she couldn't bear the thought of Gauis Balter being president. She fell in love with and married a superior officer. They were all crazy, but that was the way it was.

Finally after a couple of hours they finished all their work. Karl walked her back to her raptor. "See you in a week Lt." He saluted.

"Captain."

Karl was a good man. He loved the uniform just as much as she did. That was one of the reasons why she liked him so much. He believed in the cause. He had his flaws like she did, but he was a good person.

She returned to the Pegasus. Lee was waiting on the flight deck for her like he always did. He helped her down from the raptor.

"Lt."

"Commander."

"How's the Galactica?"

"She's wearing a bit thin, but she's a tough old bird. Still holding strong." She looked up at him. "Your father is doing fine also…he asked about you."

"Yeah, what did you tell him?"

"That you're holding your own."

Lee looked at her. "I can imagine the look of surprise on his face."

She locked eyes with him. "Lee…"

He smiled and kissed her on the forehead. "C'mon Lt. we should get to the CIC."

"Yes sir."