This is how I envisioned Sharon and Helo putting their life back together after their daughter died. Completely AU as there is not new Caprica, everyone is still on the Galactica and all that. I own nothing.

Chapter One

"You think I care about us?"

Helo lay in his bunk, staring at the ceiling, but not seeing it. All he could see was Sharon the last time he saw her, a week ago.

Her words had been like the final nail in the coffin his heart was in, a coffin he wasn't even aware existed until Sharon had said that. How had they gotten this far? How had they gotten to the point that he couldn't bring himself to see her when all he wanted was to see and hold her.

As he continued staring at the ceiling, Helo realized what he really needed. Either a minor miracle or a really god drunk. As there appeared to be no miracle on the horizon he would take the good drunk. Where was Starbuck when you really needed her?

"Karl?" Starbuck's voice suddenly came from beside his bunk, "Whatcha doin'?" Think of the devil and she does appear.

"Kara, I need a favour."

"Sure what's up"

"I need you to make sure I get back to my bunk in one piece tonight. Because before I try to fix my life, I need to spend one night getting completely shitted faced and I need youto make sure I don't do anything too stupid. Plus I need to do it somewhere no one else is going."

Staring at her friend, Kara could not deny him anything. For the last week she had watched him barely function, barely talk to anyone, barely exist in anyway. Only leaving his bunk for shifts, nothing else. She had checked with the guards and he hadn't been to visit Sharon who, it appeared, wasn't faring much better. The guards said she barely ate, wouldn't communicate in anyway and hadn't asked from Helo. Not once.

"Yeah, Helo, whatever you want." Starbuck took a step back so her friend could get off the bunk. Following him, she muttered to herself "But tomorrow we start putting you back together again."

To say that it was a long night would be an understatement. Kara made no real attempt to keep up with Helo, he was clearly a man with a mission; the mission being to get a drunk as possible as fast as possible.

She took him to flightroom where they spent so much time prepping to get ready. It was dark except for the one set of lights Starbuck flipped on walking in. Pulling a bottle of Chief's homemade alcohol out from under her jacket, where she had also stashed two glasses. They sat down on the slight floor rise at the front of the room where the podium was. Starbuck poured and handed Helo the first drink, he was back for more before she could even finish pouring hers. She filled it up again in silence as he downed the second glass. She didn't say anything until a few minutes later.

"Helo, ya know, you could drink a little slower. Chief made enough to last for a while,' Starbuck watched as he downed his 4th glass of Chief's homemade booze before asking "Do you want to talk?"

Helo snorted derisively, "About what exactly. The fact that I'm in love with a cyclone or that my child is dead or that Sharon no longer wants to be with me or that I have no idea how to put this back together again without her."

"Have another drink Helo," Starbuck held up the bottle of alcohol to refill her glass than her own, "I think I'll join you this time." The two sat in silence for a bit before Helo quietly spoke.

"I don't know what to do or how to fix this. I don't know what to do if she doesn't let me back in. I'm not sure I can do this without her."

Starbuck could say nothing but rest her hand on her friend's shoulder in comfort and pour what was left of the alcohol into his glass.