Title: Captive, Chapter 8

Pairing: Lee/Kara

Rating: PG-13 (parts of this chapter might bother some readers, but in concept only, there's nothing graphic)

Summary: Kara and Aurora are Leoben's prisoners. Can Kara get them out?

Disclaimer: Ron said maybe, if I was really, really good I could have them … but then, I was really, really bad and asked who the final cylon was. He rescinded his offer.

A/N: All right, kiddies. This chapter is not for the faint of heart. Like I said above, nothing graphic, but … well, you'll see.

Enjoy!

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11 Months After the Groundbreaking Ceremony – Week 17 of the Cylon Occupation

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Kara awoke slowly. She was so frakkin' tired since giving birth. Luckily, Aurora was a good baby who ate on a pretty normal schedule and would often sleep for three to four hours at a stretch, allowing Kara to doze as well.

But she could tell from the slight dampness on the front of her shirt that it must be time to feed again. Gods, she'd be grateful when her breasts were no longer emulating the teets on a cow.

Are you ready, baby girl, for some lunch? She still wouldn't speak to her daughter aloud, but she smiled wide as she turned towards the bassinet right beside her bed.

And felt all color drain from her face as she found it empty.

Sitting up in a flash, Kara glanced all about her, throwing back the covers, wondering if she had fallen asleep with the baby on top of her, wondering if maybe she had rolled off. Oh Gods, had she suffocated her?

"Oh Gods," she breathed, her voice raspy from over a month of disuse. "Oh Gods, oh Gods," she kept muttering as she gently pawed through the covers and then, not finding her daughter ripped them from the bed.

She stripped it down, checking every inch of the bedroom, moaning the whole time and praying for guidance.

Kara sprinted to the bathroom realizing this was ridiculous. Her daughter couldn't sit up yet, let alone crawl. But maybe she had, maybe she was a miracle baby. She laughed a bit too giddily at the thought—Kara Thrace and her miracle baby.

It wasn't until she made it to the living room and started pulling at couch cushions that she finally put two and two together. The bastard.

"You bastard!" She screamed, a piercing wail that echoed through the empty apartment. She knew he could hear her and probably see her too. She knew the place was wired. She knew Leoben was watching her—with her baby in his arms.

"You bastard! I will kill you! Leoben, you hear me?" She stood, panting, in the middle of the room as if waiting for an answer and then she charged up the stairs taking them two at a time.

She grabbed for the door handle and pulled it hard. The heavy metal refused to yield, but Kara kept pulling with all her might. "Damn it, Leoben! Bring her back! Bring my daughter back to me right now!"

Knowing she had no hope of opening the door, Kara took a step back and actually slammed her body into it, shoulder first. The pain was instantaneous and spread down her arm and her side in a second. Ignoring it, she gritted her teeth and did it again. This time, she saw stars.

"Bring her back," she kept yelling, but she was tiring quickly, her body still not fully recovered from birth. After she gave the door a third body check and it still refused to budge, she began pounding her fists against it.

"Bring her back to me, Leoben! Bring her back right now!" She hit and hit and hit the door, until her hands were red, until the side of her wrists and her palms were turning an interesting shade of purple.

"Aurora," she finally breathed, feeling exhaustion overwhelm her. But she kept pounding until she heard something crack. The pain in her left hand was all-encompassing and Kara cradled it to her chest as she sank to the floor of the landing, tears falling down her face, sweaty hair matted to her forehead, nightgown stained with milk her baby needed.

"Bring her back," she kept murmuring, seeing spots and knowing the pain would overwhelm her soon. "Aurora, baby. I'm so sorry. Bring her back to me. Please."

With a choked sob, she fell unconscious.

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Leoben watched Kara's depleted body fall to the landing with horror and a bit of awe. He'd known how much Kara cared for her child, of course. He'd have to be blind not to see it.

But he'd had no idea the power this little child wielded over her. And how much power he in turn could wield with just the simple act of taking her away.

Aurora. It was a pretty name. Leoben stared down into the wailing child's face. She hadn't stopped crying since they'd entered the security room where each of the closed circuit TVs showed a different angle of the apartment. In fact, she'd begun to cry the minute she'd heard Kara's voice. And as Kara had grown more frantic, Aurora's cries had grown more desperate.

What an interesting bond between a mother and child. Leoben wondered if it was the kind of bond Kara would have with their child one day.

Trying to shush her as best he could, Leoben called for a Simon to attend to Kara's no doubt broken hand. He'd give her a few hours before returning to the apartment, she'd be asleep for that long at any rate.

And he needed to think of the best way to use this newfound information.

"You are indeed a beautiful little girl, Aurora." He pressed a kiss to her cheek and the baby cried louder.

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This time she awoke in a panic, but the warm familiar weight of her baby on her chest calmed her instantly.

Opening her eyes hesitantly, afraid it might be a dream, Kara felt her eyes well with tears as she saw Aurora's beautiful sleeping face before her.

Instinctively, she wrapped her arms around her and held her close, breathing in the scent of baby powder and milk. "I love you, I love you, I love you," she murmured over and over again, feeling Leoben's presence at her hip and ignoring it.

Gingerly, she sat up, wincing as she put too much pressure on her now bandaged hand. Good move, Thrace, break some bones, that's a sure way to escape. Readjusting Aurora against her, Kara smiled as the baby nuzzled its tiny head into her neck. Gods, she could sit like this forever. She'd never known such contentment.

"Aurora is a beautiful name, Kara."

Kara silently cursed. She'd known he was watching, but the fact that he'd managed to get even that bit of information out of her set her on edge. He'd never touch her daughter again, she'd already resolved herself to that.

Refusing to look at him, Kara kept her eyes locked on Aurora, one arm supporting her tiny bottom, while her other hand rubbed soothing circles on the baby's back.

"I realize that was painful before, Kara. What I did."

She glared at him, daring him to continue, daring him to justify kidnapping her child, separating them.

"But I will do it again, if you continue to deny your destiny."

Kara could not swallow her retort fast enough. "You'll never touch her again, you mother frakker. Just try it." She used her deadliest voice, her deadliest look, the one that made all men cower.

With his annoying brand of patience, Leoben stated, "You have to sleep sometime, Kara. You can't stay awake indefinitely."

"Try me." It was automatic, a reflex to always have the last word, but she knew he was right and it enraged her. Why did she have to be so weak as to need something as banal as sleep?

Leoben continued to stare, his eyes searching her face, his expression almost … what? Kind? Soft? Tender? No, Gods no, he was none of those things. It was an act, a form of manipulation. But as he continued to gaze upon her, Kara felt compelled to say something. "What do you want from me? What do I have to do so you won't take her again?"

She feared his answer almost as much as she feared asking the question.

His smile of triumph did nothing to ease her mind. "To do God's will," he told her almost eagerly, inching forward and placing his hand over the one she held to Aurora's back. Kara flinched away instantly and Leoben's face hardened for a second before he again found that faked tenderness. "You must admit that you love me, Kara. We are going to love each other; be a family."

Horrified wasn't a strong enough word to describe Kara's state of mind. "My destiny is to fall in love with you?" she asked scornfully, snorting derisively at the idea and turning away from him. He couldn't be serious—it was ridiculous, of course. But then why was her stomach starting to churn uncomfortably?

"Your destiny," he corrected her, patient once more, "Is to unite our peoples. We will be the model of human-cylon relations. One day you will come to me freely and you will kiss me and you will tell me that you love me."

Making sure to keep the baby as far away from him as possible, Kara leaned forward and spat out, "I'll die first."

His hand whipped out so fast she had no time to prepare for the hard sting of the slap against her cheek. The movement awakened Aurora and the little girl began to whimper with the suddenness of being roused and no doubt hungry too.

Trying to calm her, Kara ignored the throbbing in her cheek as Leoben rose, looming over her and intoned, "It is God's will."

No, it wasn't. It couldn't be. She would not accept that her destiny had anything to do with this monster before her. "I don't love you and I never will."

How could he stay so damn patient? Kara wanted to wipe that stupid ass grin off his face—with a knife if possible. "In time, you'll feel differently." He sounded so sure and that's what upset her more than anything.

"No, I won't." She loved Lee Adama and no one else. It had been quite that way for some time and she hated change, so Leoben was just going to have to learn to live with disappointment.

His smile turning a little sad, he sat beside her again, reaching for her hand, but Kara kept it far from him. "It's time, Kara. Time to surrender to your fate."

Her eyes flashed. "Wrong choice of words. I don't surrender."

He sighed, staring at the ground between his feet, before he rose slowly and headed toward the door. "You will," he told her quietly, his smile again sad, almost pitying before he turned and left.

As soon as he was gone, Aurora let out another wail and Kara immediately positioned her daughter against her breast. The little girl suckled eagerly and Kara tried to calm her own racing heart as she thought over Leoben's words. She'd rather die than allow that thing any control. She belonged to no one, except maybe Lee and she was only now starting to be okay with that.

Gazing down at Aurora, her heart tightened. She couldn't risk him taking her daughter away again though. Maybe next time it would be for good. Maybe she would never see her again. Gods, I can't lose her. She pressed a kiss to her forehead and rocked gently back and forth.

Think, Thrace. You've gotten out of worse situations than this … well, maybe. She glanced about the room, looking for a weapon, something heavy or sharp that she could end the frakker with.

There was nothing of course—the lamps were bolted to the tables, the tables were bolted to the floors. Even the bed and the chairs were all latched down. Apparently, her reputation had preceded her.

Aurora let go and sighed with content. Kara hefted the girl against her shoulder and rose slowly. Her body was still feeling the effects of her ill-advised imitation of a battering ram, but she made it to the bathroom, gently patting the baby's back to help with her digestion.

Flipping on the light, she grinned. Apparently, Leoben didn't know everything about her. Adjusting her hold on Aurora, she smiled down at the little girl, her eyes heavy again with sleep. "We're going to get out here, nugget. I promise."

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She crouched below the stairs, after placing Aurora in her bassinet and fashioning her weapon. She's wrapped an end of the broken shard of glass in one of the baby's diapers, not interested in adding deep lacerations to her list of injuries.

Her heart pounded as she waited what felt like hours for Leoben's return. It was time to get out here. Time to end this ridiculous charade and get back to Lee—back home.

Tightening her hold on her weapon, she heard the whisper of a key in the lock and then his grating voice. "Kara! Are you awake?"

He started down the stairs and Kara tensed, ready for a fight. She was always ready for a fight.

"Kara. Don't make this harder than it already is."

What? Like she was just going to admit she loved a machine? He had met her right? Starbuck, nice to make your acquaintance.

"I know you're here," he said with exasperation as he set down his keys and then began to slowly circle the living room.

And then he was in her reach and Kara lunged with a roar, pulling him into a chokehold before she stabbed the jagged piece of mirror into his carotid artery. "You will never touch my daughter again," she hissed in his ear as she dropped him to the ground, her nightgown now covered in blood.

He fell to his knees, gurgling and then fell forward. A puddle of dark maroon liquid encircled his head like a pool of demented light.

Kara stared for a moment, watching the puddle grow. She had never guessed there'd be so much blood.

Shaking herself from her momentary paralysis, she hurried to the bedroom, reaching for Aurora and grabbing the baby bag. Her daughter stirred once as she was lifted, but then quickly settled back against Kara's breast. "It's okay, little one. I've got you."

"Starbuck."

She whirled, surprised to find an Eight standing in the doorway, a look of reproach on her features. Glancing back to the room behind her, Eight shook her head. "You shouldn't have done that. He's not going to stop."

"Let us out of here." Kara did not beg and she wasn't begging now. But she could hear a slight plea to her voice and she hated it. She thought about rushing the cylon, trying to sneak past her, but if Eight even so much as touched a hair on Aurora's head, Kara knew she'd lose it.

Instead, she stood still and watched as Eight backed out of the room, closing the door behind her. "Everybody has a destiny, Starbuck."

Kara stood with Aurora in her arms, staring at the closed door for quite a while.

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She felt his return. The air turned colder, the room more dim. She sat in her robe, having taken a shower to wash his blood off. An Eight and a Simon had come by a few hours ago to dispose of the body. Kara guessed he'd been gone—dead—for about seven.

The sound of his footsteps on the stairs was heavy, final. Kara straightened, hiding her new weapon behind her back, hoping he would present her with another opportunity. He paused at the bottom of the stairs and regarded her. His expression was now more cold than tender. Kara smiled tightly. She preferred that.

"Have you had time to reflect on what you did?"

How condescending could he be? Kara had thought Lee had long ago cornered the market on—no, she wouldn't think about Lee, not now, not with him staring down his nose at her.

"I had time to wash your blood off my hands," she told him sweetly, batting her eyelashes, daring him to come closer.

He sighed heavily and approached her cautiously. Just a few steps, not quite close enough. Kara's hand wrapped around the serving dish she'd found, big and heavy, and she knew she could get enough force behind it to at least stun him, if not knock him out.

"Kara, I don't know how else to get through to you."

"Then let me go." She searched his eyes looking for the tiniest hint of compassion there. "If you love me, you won't keep me here a prisoner. You have to know that coercing someone to love you will never work."

The smile slid from his features and this time she would have sworn it was replaced with pure sadness—if Cylons could feel sadness, could feel anything.

As he moved to encircle her waist with his arm, she swung out hard, catching his temple with the platter. He staggered back, crying out, his hand flying to the wound and coming back bloody.

"Kara," he murmured, eyes wide and hurtful as he sank to his knees and passed out.

Kara didn't hesitate this time. Dropping the plate, she charged into the bedroom and collected Aurora.

Back in the living room, her eyes darted up to the door and her heart almost stopped. He hadn't closed it. There was a sliver of light peeking through. Kara sprinted, taking the stairs two at a time.

"We're almost there, baby," she whispered, throwing up the door and running into the corridor—only to be stopped by another set of impenetrable bars.

"No." She gripped the bar tightly with her free hand and screamed, "Let me out of here! I don't belong here!"

Aurora woke up, crying now that her mother was so agitated.

And no one came.

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A new Leoben returned later that night. Kara and Aurora were in the living room when he entered. He regarded her for a moment and then, crossed to her, pressed a kiss to her hair and went to bed.

Kara and Aurora slept on the couch.

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