Title: Empty Age
Author: johnliz4ever
Fandom: Battlestar Galactica
Disclaimer: Not minePairing: Lee/Laura, with some Laura/Kara, Laura/Billy, Laura/Adama friendship
Rating: Everyone
Notes: Title from the Yoko Ishida song 'The Empty Age' as it was on when I was writing this. AU and remember it's my first BSG fic.
Spoilers: Everything
Summery: Lee says his goodbye

Lee Adama walked into the sick bay on Galactica. He could already see Billy, his father and Kara around the bed paying their last respects. Billy's eyes were red and Lee could tell he'd been crying, it wasn't surprising. Laura had been like a mother to him.

Lee stood their watching them, he watched has his father bent down and lightly kissed the President of the Colonies on the forehead before whispering something to her and than straightening himself up.

Kara took Laura's hand and smiled weakly at her, Lee couldn't hear what she was saying but he expected with was something about having respected her and it being a pleasure to have worked with her.

Billy didn't do anything, he just stood there, watching them. Lee knew that Billy just wasn't ready to say goodbye, he'd had longer than any of them, except Laura, to come to terms with this but he couldn't.

Adama and Kara said their final goodbye before turning to walk to the hatch. Adama gently laid his hand on his son's shoulder has he left the room. Kara walked to him and met his eyes. Lee could tell from the dark clouds in Kara's eyes that he only had a few minutes at most. Lee nodded and walked over to where Laura was taking softly with Billy. Her hand was rested on his cheek and the tears were falling from Billy's eyes has he tried to turn away but she wouldn't let him.

Laura turned a second and saw Lee standing next to her bed, she smiled at him before turning back to Billy. She stoked his cheek with her thumb, her hand shaking.

Billy lent towards her and kissed her softly on the lips before resting his forehead on hers.

A moment later he pulled away from her and after smiling sadly at her he left the room.

Laura breathed deeply before turning to Lee, she was tired and at the end, Lee could tell but she smiled none the less.

"Captain Apollo. Thank you for coming"

Lee pulled a nearby chair next to her bed and sat down. Carefully he held one of her hands.

He didn't know what to say, he'd prepared a whole speech about it being an honor to serve for her and an honor to know her but now he was here, none of it seemed enough.

"I wish I knew what to say, I wish there was a way this could be easier"

Laura changed the position on their hands' so she was holding his.

"It has been an honor to know you Captain Adama. I am sorry for everything I have put you through but I must thank you for always standing by me. That means more to me than you'll ever know"

Lee tried to smile but instead tears began to fall from his eyes. He quickly wiped them away with his free hand.

"I'm sorry"

Laura shook her head

"Don't be. This was always going to happen. We knew that."

Lee closed his eyes

"It still doesn't mean this is easy for me. For any of us"

It took a while for him to realise that Laura hadn't responded in any way to what he had said. Slowly he opened his eyes to find hers closed. The grip on his hand had weakened. Panicked Lee squeezed her hand

"Laura"

Her eyes stayed closed. There was no movement. Lee lifted his hand to her face, he cupped her cheek.

"Laura"

Slowly her eyes flickered open.

"I'm sorry."

Lee smiled in a slight relief that she was still with them.

"You scared me"

Lee thought about kissing her lightly, softly, tenderly on the lips, just for a second, but decided against it. Slowly he placed a kiss to her forehead, letting his lips stay there longer than was strictly necessary.

As he moved away from her, he caught sight of her lips and before he could stop himself he'd kissed her on the lips. Not in the sweet light way that Billy had but in a more passionate way. Still tender but with more feeling than Billy or his father had used.

He pulled away from her, his eyes closed. He could feel her hand on his cheek. It was so cold, he could hear her breathing and he knew she was slipping away at that moment. She was dying.

Quickly he opened his eyes just in time to see her closing hers.

Slowly Lee moved himself from the chair and sat on the edge of the bed. He slipped an arm around her.

"Captain Apollo?"

Her voice was weak causing him to hold her tighter. He didn't want her to have to go through this alone. He hadn't been there for Zak, he hadn't been able to comfort him, to hold him and tell him how much he loved him. He'd felt liked he'd failed his brother. He wouldn't do that again. He wouldn't fail someone he cared for, someone he loved, again.

"I'm here."

"43rd in succession. I know all 42 ahead of me from the President down"

Lee held her tighter has she started talking gibberish, saying things she'd said on Colonial One that day of the Cylon attack on the colonies.

"Shhh, I'm here. I've got you"

"In case the President, the Vice President and..."

Lee looked up at the ceiling silently praying, asking the Gods to make it painless for her

"I know, but Captain Apollo sounds..."

She stopped so suddenly. Lee looked down and listened carefully. He couldn't hear her breathing. Quickly he put his finger to her neck searching for a pulse, a sign of life. He dropped his fingers from her neck slowly and slid off the bed. He laid her down and pulled the sheets around her. Bending down he kissed her forehead again.

"It's been an honor Madam President."

He lips stayed on her forehead as he murmured that, hoping she'd always known.

He stood up and tried to dry his eyes and get rid of some of the redness before giving up.

He looked down at her still body. She was gone. All that was left was the shell which had given her life but her soul, her essence was gone.

Biting his lip he pulled the sheet up over her so that it covered her completely.

"It truly was an honor to know you"

Slowly he turned round and walked away from her. He opened up the hatch and stepped out of the sick bay. Billy, Dee, Adama and Kara were all standing there, waiting. Billy could tell straight away from the look in Lee's eyes. Dee also seeing the look in Lee's eyes slid her arms around Billy and held him as he just stood there entranced. No tears falling from his eyes but his hurt and sadness clear for all to see.

Lee moved to the nearest wall and lent against it. His breathing became ragged as he held back the sobs which were threatening to escape.

Fin...