Laura looked at Bill and he knew that she was ready to leave. The party was still going strong but Laura wanted to start a smaller party with just the Commander. "I'm just going to find Amy and let her know I'm leaving."
Bill nodded and told Laura he would meet her back at the raptor. After a few minutes of searching Laura finally found Amy off in a corner talking with Dee. "Hey you two, are you enjoying the party?"
Dee smiled and nodded her head, "Yes I'm having a great time Madam President, and don't worry I won't keep Amy out to late."
Laura smiled at Dee, "Dee could I talk to you for a moment alone please?"
Dee hesitated and looked at Amy who nodded her head telling her to go. Dee followed the President and was silent while waiting for what she assumed would be a reprimand. "Dee my daughter thinks of you as a best friend. Now I don't know if you know this but Amy never really had friends growing up. So this is a big thing for her, and I just want you to know that Amy is a package deal. You don't just get her, you get all of us. Me and Kara, Bill, Zak, Billy, and even Lee. I have to ask how you view your relationship with Amy?"
Dee paused, "well Madam President I think of her as a best friend too. I don't have anyone left now, and I guess Amy is the closest thing to family I have even though were just friends."
Laura chuckled, "Please call me Laura, after all your family now."
Dee was taken aback this was the second time she was told she was family and coming from the President it was a big thing. "Dee I am just giving you the heads up that you're stuck with us, and we have family dinners at least once a week sometimes more and they are required. Billy is always welcome to join, although he hasn't been coming because he wants to be with you. Amy will fill you in later."
Laura then grabbed Dee's hand and dragged her back to Amy. "Well you two have a fun night and I am sure I will be seeing you tomorrow at some point. Night girls."
Laura grabbed Dee in a hug and then did the same to Amy. "Night mom, don't work out to hard."
Amy winked at Laura who blushed and took off to meet Bill. Dee turned to Amy, "What was that?"
Amy gave a huge smile, "Oh her and Bill are going to finally take that next step."
Dee took a few second before it clicked, "You mean they haven't?"
Amy shook her head, "Oh gods. Well good for them I guess."
Amy looked at Dee, "So what did she want to talk to you about?"
Dee shrugged her shoulders still slightly shocked by her newest status as family, "She wanted to tell me that family dinners are required and I should ask you when the next one is."
Amy smiled and hugged Dee, "See I told you. So what do you say we head back to Galactica and pick up Asteria. My mom's going to be out so we can hang in her quarters for a bit."
Dee nodded her head and started to walk arm in arm with Amy, "So you're inviting me to spend the night with you, gods you're a cheap date."
Amy and Dee both laughed and made their way to the loading docks to catch a raptor back. The ride was short and Amy had asked the CIC to call into her room to inform Sharon that she would pick up Asteria. Amy nodded to the marines guarding her quarters and knocked on the hatch. She waited for Sharon to answer because she didn't want to walk in on anything. Sharon opened the hatch and handed Asteria to Amy, "Are you sure you don't want to stay here tonight Amy, I mean it's okay if you do?"
Amy shook her head and smiled with a glimmer in her eye, "No Sharon you and Helo enjoy your alone time. Mom is out for the night so I'm taking her place, and the two of you should be together before you have a little one getting in the way."
Amy gave Sharon a hug and turned to walk back to Dee. Walking to Laura's quarters Dee had taken Asteria to hold her for a bit. "So Amy you really don't mind letting the cylon care for your daughter?"
Amy shook her head, "Not at all! I trust Sharon with my life. She was there when Asteria was born, and more than that she was the one who delivered her. Sharon is different from the others, although I know most people don't understand that. Sharon makes her own choices and she is loyal. I consider her to be family in a sense and she knows that. Having a family is really important to her and she would never do anything to hurt the ones she loves."
Dee nodded still slightly doubtful. Inside Laura's quarters Amy placed Asteria in Laura's desk chair. She had it propped next to the rack so that Asteria couldn't roll off the chair. She then walked over and sat with Dee on the couch, "So tell me Anastasia Dualla, how do you feel about Billy?"
Dee smiled, "I don't know, I mean I like him a lot, but I don't know if it's love or not."
Amy nodded and got up to pour a glass of water, she poured one for Dee as well and returned to the couch. "I mean Billy is a great guy, but I just don't know if he is right for me or not. Not to mention he is ready for a family, and I am not sure I want to be a mother. I mean I love kids, but I prefer the roll of the aunt who can give the kid back after a few hours."
Amy laughed and handed Dee her locket. "This is beautiful is that you and Kara?"
Amy nodded, "yeah Kara is my mom's oldest friend. She was about 16 in that picture I think. It was about six years after her and my mom first met, and about the time she moved in with my mom. Kara always said that she prefer the roll of the aunt too. Kara however is the most maternal person I know."
Dee almost spit her water out as she laughed, "Kara? Maternal? That's a good one."
Amy smiled, "No I'm serious. Kara has always been there when my mom needed her. When Kara first met my mom she was alone. My mom had been strained from her family for sometime and she had no friends. My mother never discusses it but she was severely depressed and had planned to take her own life."
Amy paused to take a sip of water and to gather her thoughts. Her mother and Kara had explained this to her only a few years ago, and she had never told anyone else. She had never felt it was her place but she was trying to open up to Dee. "Kara's mom use to beat her, and one night Kara took off running. She didn't know who else to trust so she found my mom's address in the listing and went there. By some miracle Kara got there just before my mom went through with it. My mom had let her in and let her stay the night, and Kara had seen all the pills she had planed to take. Kara told her that no matter what was wrong she could get through it with help. My mother explained to her that she had no one and Kara told her that wasn't true because they had each other. My mom and Kara have been together ever since. Then when I came along Kara moved in and helped out."
Amy paused yet again to check on Asteria and to refill her glass but this time with ambrosia. "My mom wasn't very maternal and Kara really took care of me when I was little. When she went off to the Academy I didn't know what to do, so I took over. I helped take care of my mom. I cooked because she can't, and I would sing her to sleep a lot of the time.
Then my Aunt Cheryl got pregnant so my mom threw a huge baby shower for her and she was finally reconnecting with her family. It was such a fun party and the next morning there was a knock on out door. I was asleep but when I woke up my mom was gone and the front door was open. I ran outside and walked down a ways to the fountains in the park nearby. My mom was still in her pajamas standing in the middle of the fountain. I could see she was crying so I went in and got her. I was only about 8 at the time and well she told me that the police had come and that my aunt's and my grandfather had been killed in a car crash."
Dee let out a gasp and had tears in her eyes. Amy looked down trying to fight back her own tears, "I took her home and put her to bed and called Kara. She took leave and came home right away. She stayed as long as she could and then left. The very next year my grandmother was diagnosed with breast cancer. My mom was always at the hospital helping to take care of her, and for about a year I only saw my mom when I was visiting grandma or taking her clothes and food. Kara came home again and took care of me, and when my grandma passed she took care of mom.
It was just one thing after the other for my mom and it was hard on her. When I was about 12 Kara was going to go off on her first assignment on a battlestar and I confided in her that I didn't want to be with my mom alone, and Kara had us sit down and hash things out. If Kara hadn't forced us we never would have become this close."
Dee smiled and Amy finished off her glass, "Anyways my point is Kara never wanted kids or to be a mother, and yet she has been doing it for years. You might be surprised at how amazing a mother you'd be."
Dee looked at Amy and said what Amy wouldn't ask her, "I'll keep this all to myself Amy."
Amy thanked her and looked at Asteria, "Maybe Billy isn't the right one for you, but don't let kids be an issue for you yet. We all have time to think about the future and if we worry too much about it then we would never actually get anywhere because of our fears."
Dee hugged Amy, "I think we should maybe get some sleep." Amy agreed and lay in her mother's rack while Dee took the couch.
