Back Chapter 2

Laura Roslin – former President of the 12 Colonies of Kobol sat behind her desk looking a little worse for wear wrapped in and awful dirty blanket. Admiral William Adama stood across from her desk not quite sure where to start.

"Laura" it was a whisper on his lips – a whisper filled with emotion he didn't yet understand and couldn't take the time now to comprehend as the logical commander in him came to the surface. A calm head needed to prevail at this moment and the man in him simply felt too much right now. He'd expected her to look up at him at least but nothing – no response – something was clearly wrong but exactly what that was didn't know yet. He moved closer to her approaching her line of sight.

"Bill?" It was barely a whisper – she still wasn't looking at him and had he not seen her lips move, he would have questioned if she'd even spoken at all. He was confused as to why she questioned that it was him – couldn't she see him? Concern was starting to creep into his mind. Everything about her was setting off red flags – her behavior, her appearance, her present state of something which he could only label as fear or shock.

Assess the situation that is what his mind was telling him – why was she so scared? He reached out to touch her and she pulled herself even further back away into the chair. It was then that he remembered what Kara had told him - the cylons had her in detention when the rescue began – calm – he needed to calm her down – go slow Bill – words of comfort.

"Laura, it's me, it's Bill, you're safe now – you're on Galactica – Laura, can you hear me? Please look at me…"

Her mind was spinning – part of her was aware of what was going on around her and part of her was still back in the detention cell on New Caprica. Bill Adama's voice floated through the haze – she was beginning to hope it was all real but she couldn't let he guard down…not yet. She'd been through this before and was hurt many times when she thought he'd been there only to realize it was a cylon mind game.

"Laura, focus on my voice – can you look at me, please? Try to remember - do you remember the rescue? Do you remember getting to the ship, leaving New Caprica?"

Bits and pieces of memories were coming back to her – the sound of Saul's voice telling her to take cover, the sound of the cylons approaching, the explosion, running, running so fast she was so scared. Why can't I feel anything – only numbness – but she could smell something, something familiar something she had never smelt before when the cylons were playing their mind games with her – she could smell HIM – Bill – Admiral Adama – Galactica – Safety – Home – tears began to well up in her eyes and she began to shake.

He kept speaking softly not wanting to startle her – "That's it, easy Laura just breathe. It's all right, you're safe – you're going to be o.k. I'm going to come a little closer alright?"

Internally he reminded himself to stay quiet and move slowly and he couldn't help but begin to worry about what the hell had happened to her down there – he could see her trembling – crying – practically paralyzed with fear.

She felt him getting closer and closer – his voice was so soothing, calming. She caught a glimpse of motion – her eyes were trying to refocus but her fear reflex was still winning out.

"We need to have Doc Cottle look at you – we need to get you to sickbay – you need to get cleaned up and in clean warm clothes. She wrapped the blanket tighter, protectively around herself. Noting this but not understanding the meaning he made a natural assumption and asked, "Are you cold?"

Adama was now kneeling in front of her gently extending his hand hoping she would take it. Hoping something he was saying was getting through to her. Please Gods, let something be getting through to her. All she saw was a hand reaching for her - trying to grab her.

"NO!"

Her yell startled him and he quickly withdrew his hand. At least she was finally speaking.

"Easy, it's o.k., it's all right, you are safe, and I'm not going to hurt you I need you to try to focus. Can you do that Laura?"

Laura's mind was beginning to clear, she could hear him, he was calming, and he wasn't pushing or probing for information which was new and different from the other times. There had always been so many questions before…maybe, just maybe this was not like before.

"I remember..."

"What Laura, what do you remember?"

"Saul"

"Yes that's good, What about him?"

"He came to get me from...did he...?" Her voice drifted off.

"Yes Laura he's safe. Saul is here on Galactica too, the doctors are making sure he's alright but he's in one piece I saw him myself. He got out Laura, he got you both out."

"I can't believe it"

"What?"

"It can't be real."

"I assure you, this is real – we lost the Pegasus but we got as many as humanly possible away from there. I still can't believe I let you go there – I should've made you stay here where you'd be safe. I'm so sorry Laura…" his voice struggled to keep from breaking as tears sprung to his eyes.

That was what finally got through her final defenses – slowly she turned her head and looked at him square in the eye. Her normally piercing eyes seemed to sad and distant he felt an overwhelming desire to wrap his arms around her and protect her forever but she was clearly fragile at this moment he didn't want to do anything that would overwhelm her.

"Not your fault."

"Like hell it's not – I should've protected the fleet, I should have protected you!"

"You came back"

"Of course I did, there was no way I was leaving anyone behind least of all you."

She began looking around asking "How long?"

"I don't understand...?"

"How long have we been here?" She was taking in her surroundings – she now was aware that she was on Colonial One but he had said Galactica...maybe it wasn't as real as she thought.

"About 4 hours"

"You said we were on Galactica, this isn't Galactica."

"No….Yes…I mean…Colonial One is docked inside Galactica's bay – lost most of the thruster control and all of the FTL drive a few jumps back. We should really get you out of here."

He again extended his hand to her. "Please Laura, take my hand, and let me get you out of here."

She looked at him, watched him extend his hand to her, she wanted to trust him. Slowly the grip she had around herself loosened and one frail hand found its way out from under the blanket and visibly trembled as she reached for him.