This one is a little short - but Chp 8 should be a bit longer.

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Sharon stands at the open hatch for a few minutes before she says anything, "Hey Starbuck. How are the Baby Bucks?"

Kara rolls her eyes then contemplates Sharon, "Two questions. One: Why are you talking to me when you have been avoiding me like a pariah for the last 6 ½ months. And two: If I tell you the names Lee and I have come up with will you please stop calling them that?"

Sharon is surprised to say the least. You shouldn't be…Starbuck is never one to mince words. "I thought it was time we talked." After saying that she goes silent.

Kara glances up at her again and shrugs. "So talk."

"Why do you hate me?"

She stares at Sharon for a few minutes without answering. Then she finally says, "I don't hate you. You just have an uncanny resemblance to several Cylons that I do hate."

Sharon blows out a breath. "Okay, so why have you been avoiding me?"

Kara looks at Sharon as if she is an interesting piece of art, her head is tilted slightly and she is smiling. "I think you have it backwards Agathon. Last time I checked we see each other everyday and you are the one avoiding me."

Sharon is about to respond but Kara continues, "You shouldn't feel guilty. I don't blame you and deep down neither do Ana or Lynn. They just didn't have the benefit of knowing you before hand." Kara shrugs and goes back to the paperwork she had been doing.

Sharon opens and closes her mouth several times. I finally, truly understand the meaning of blindsided. Did she say benefit? As in it was a benefit of knowing me? "I haven't been avoiding you…exactly."

Kara snorts, "You and just about every other pilot on Galatica." She shrugs, "Don't worry about it. I understand."

Sharon blinks several times, "Good, so explain it to me."

Kara grins, "Well for the most part its this: I was a Cylon breeding experiment, keep captive for a little over four months. And now everyone thinks I am damaged." She pauses thoughtfully, "Maybe at first I was. But it's been easier with the Admiral, Ana, Lee, and Lynn around."

"So…your happy that you were a Cylon breeding experiment?"

Kara looks at Sharon in amazment. "Frak no. This whole situation isn't fair to anyone. Especially Lee." She pauses again to contemplate Sharon, "I don't know how much I want to tell you of my time there but suffice it to say that the process was…less than pleasant."

Kara writes something down and says, "I'm not happy that I was one of your people's playthings. I'm happy that I have my girls though."

Sharon flushes, "Kara, I am truly sorry…" Kara cocks her eyebrow at Sharon but she continues, "I knew that they thought you were special, that you had a destiny. I should have known they would think it was in this capacity." She motions to Kara's stomach.

"Sharon?" Kara waits until she looks up, "I don't blame you. At all. If I occasionally have to make sure you're not at my back try not to take offense. I still have nightmares."

Sharon nods, thinking of her conversation with Ana yesterday. "I understand, perfectly."

Kara glances at the hatch again and sees Helo and Lee…Apollo watching them. Rolling her eyes, she pokes Sharon, and motions toward the door. She whispers quietly, "Gods damned men say we are nosy!"

Sharon giggles and nods, "I know what you mean. So, now that I have answered question number one, let me answer number two, yes, if you tell me their names I will stop using Baby Bucks…and win quite a bit of stuff in the betting pool. And when did you and Lee talk about names?"

Kara purses her lips and looks vaguely annoyed. "When he finished with his CAP patrol yesterday. He kind of ambushed me."

"Kara."

Hearing the gentle voice behind her made her jump, "Gods Lee! Trying to give me a frakkin heart attack?"

He grinned trying to look repentant, "Sorry, thought we could talk."

"Oh yeah, you look sorry." She glares at him for a few more seconds before she laughs. "Alright, what do you want to talk about?"

"Oh, just about anything at this point." He looked thoughtful for a moment, "Have you started picking names?"

Kara blushed. "Yes, I have a few picked out." She bit her lip nervously, "I...I was going to talk to you about it first, but I wanted one of them to be Carrol."

Lee couldn't seem to speak for a moment, "After Mom?"

"Yeah, she was always...good to me. And I know it isnt her full name...but I wanted her,"

"To have a slightly less girly name?" He smiled when she blushed beet red.

She couldn't seem to meet his eyes. "That was the only one I had definately settled on."

He nodded and guided them both to a secluded part of the mess so they could keep their talk private. "What about Laura?"

Kara looked at him, surprised. "I had noticed that you two were close. And I know that you respect her."

"Yes, I love it."

"So, what did you two pick?" Sharon asks impatiently.

Kara leans over and whispers quietly, "Carrol Greer and Laura Eloise."

Sharon blinks, "Well, I don't think anyone is going to win anything…everyone bet on Caroline and Dione."

Kara smirks and returns to her paperwork. But Sharon hears her mutter, "Dione? Where the frak did that come from?"

Sharon bites her lip and asks, "So, want to beat them at Triad? Maybe play strip Triad?" she motions to Helo and Apollo.

Kara looks back up at the two men who were now facing each other, trying to look like they were not spying. "Oh hells yes!" she says laughing.

Lynn waddles as quickly as she can down the hallway after Kara, "Hey, wait up! Where have you been? I haven't seen you around much, you are never in quarters anymore…"

Ana comes up behind the two women rubbing her swollen stomach absently, "Yeah, well - little ex-wifey hangs around outside the hatch."

Kara rolls her eyes, "You two do realize that we have work to do? I could just be you know, busy?"

Lynn cocks her eyebrow, "Yeah right, which is why you peak outside the hatch before actually leaving our quarters." She snorts, "Mind, I don't blame you – she gives me the creeps sometimes…never know what she is capable of." She shrugs, "I wouldn't worry too much about it, for now at least."

Both women look at her expectantly. "Oh it was hilarious…"

"Well hello there Dualla. What brings you to our neck of the Battlestar?"

"I just want to speak with Captain Thrace."

"Now, see – I might be going crazy but I was under the impression that Major Adama warned you to stay away from all three of us."

Dee snorts, all bravado.

"Hmmm, I wonder what he would say if I told him that you were here. I wonder what Admiral Adama would say – because remember, Captain Thrace is carrying his grandchildren. I wonder what the president would think too…or haven't you noticed that she seems to have taken all three of us under her wing?"

Dee gets more and more nervous with each word, "I…I am not doing anything wrong! I just want to talk."

"Yes well I'm sure that she doesn't want to talk to you. Now, run along before I decide to visit the Admiral with news of your recent whereabouts."

Dee glares but she walks away quickly.

"Anyway she left really quickly."

Kara snorts, "Lynn, you're a sadist."

Lynn just smirks, "Accusing me of sadism is a tad extreme. I just enjoy frakkin with her mind."

Ana just rolls her eyes and says, "Anyway, have you two heard? Since the last of the non-essential civilians are off the ship Adama is starting a new building project."

Kara and Lynn look at her expectantly. "Well, this area is mostly smaller cargo bays and storage closets. Adama is having everything moved to the larger cargo bays on that side of the ship and converting this section into family quarters."

"Ooo…My own space at last." Lynn says.

"Right, because me and Kara are the ones that leave everything wherever it falls. ANYway, they are going to start in the middle and move outward in both directions so we won't have move in until our new quarters are ready."

Kara stares at the wall almost dreamily, "Not that I don't like living with you two but this sounds like a dream."

"Oh, its okay – you know what they say 'if you want to be friends forever, don't live together'."

Kara blinks in surprise. "Wow, you were a cheerleader in school weren't you? I would have hated you."

Ana rolls her eyes, "When is this 'little' project starting?"

"Uhh, tomorrow."

"What?!?!" Kara and Ana both shout.

Lynn snorts, "Yeah, and our new 'apartments' should be done sometime in the next two or three weeks." Her eyes narrow on Kara, "I heard an interesting rumor yesterday. About the CAG and one of his lead pilots have to run to the bunkroom in their regulation underwear. Know anything about that?"

Kara grins, "Not a thing. And don't bother asking me I swore I wouldn't talk…Athena on the other hand…"

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