A/N - Hey all, this was written some time ago but I forgot about posting it here. School's here again so I thought I'd post it. And I really shouldn't post in bulk lol. I usually forget about posting here and then realize later on with the result of me posting 3 to 4 chapters at once. I won't do that now. So here's one chapter. Enjoy! I sort of left a cliffhanger at the end because I couldn't resist. And please don't kill me after reading this! ducks and hides All mistakes are mine. And I don't own anything. RDM does.
The Girl Next Door
By caramelapples
Chapter 9
"I like it here," Bill commented thoughtfully, looking up into the sky. The weather was clear today and he was glad because it allowed him to go outside and play with Laura.
Laura pulled her legs to her chest and wrapped her arms around them. "Me too," she replied, also looking thoughtful. The loud crashing noise of the waterfall higher up proved soothing as Laura threw her head back and watched an eager squirrel scamper off a tree branch. "It's so pretty," she sighed, and drew her attention back to Bill. He stood nearer to the edge of the rock that Laura had made herself comfortable on and watched the flow of the water.
"Pa always brings me here to the creek when he's home," Bill said sadly.
Laura watched his shoulders sag in defeat and her little heart crimped to see him upset. For no particular reason, she wanted to make him laugh and make him happy just like he made her. Bill's father had not come home in weeks and she knew that he was upset about it, even though he never mentioned it to her.
"He'll be home soon," she reassured him, hoping that he would brighten up. He did.
"I think so too," Bill said, sitting down on the rock beside her. He turned his gaze towards her and suddenly, Laura found herself fighting the urge to blush. She wondered if there was anything out of place. Bill's scrutinizing gaze pierced her and Laura hoped that there wasn't anything particularly embarrassing like dirt on her nose or something. Her heart skipped a beat as he came closer, as though he was inspecting her - or more accurately, her eyes.
He has very blue eyes, she thought, realizing that she was most probably blushing already.
"I have something for you," Bill said abruptly and busied himself searching in his pockets. Laura kept silent as she watched him digging both hands into both his pockets. Finally, he pulled something from his pocket, something shiny, Laura noticed. "Here," he said, holding his fist out, the shiny thing hidden in his palm.
She opened her hand it sparkled in the sun when he dropped it onto her open hand. It was cold and fluid in its movements. Laura gasped when she realized Bill had given her a silver chain. "For me?" she asked, her little voice held wonder.
"Uh huh."
Laura held the chain up and let in dangle from her fingers. It was most probably the prettiest thing she had ever had. She even liked it better than the gold bracelet her mother always wore. "Where did you get this?" she asked, still fascinated by the sparkling chain, her eyes never leaving her precious gift. Its value only increased tenfold when Laura thought about who it was from - Bill. Her Bill had given her a necklace and a warm feeling spread from her heart to the tips of her fingers. It even had a locket!
"I found it in the bushes," he said absentmindedly, pleased that his gift was appreciated by the way Laura looked. "My Ma said to give it to a girl I -" he paused halfway, recalling what his mother had told him when he first showed her what he had found. A girl I like, he thought. Bill looked to Laura to see that she wasn't actually paying attention to him and he felt relief wash over him. She was too engrossed with her gift. Pride burst from his heart and he resisted the urge to put his hand on his hips and puff his chest out. He looked out to the creek, taking in the beautiful green hue.
"Thank you," Bill heard her whisper, although she sounded much closer than where she was sitting. Then, Bill felt something brush his cheek, something warm and soft and the scent that accompanied it sweet and fresh. He gasped in surprise and snapped his head to the side as Laura settled back into her sitting position. Too dazed to speak, he could only stare at Laura as his mouth formed an 'o'. She didn't seem to be affected despite the colour on her cheeks. However, she did seem too engrossed with the silver chain, fingering the locket that came with it almost too frequently.
Laura Roslin just kissed me! his mind screamed, excitement radiating from every part of his body. He flushed from head to toe, his ears turning a striking shade of red.Laura Roslin just kissed me! It seemed as though the pounding of his heart was loud enough to even drown out the noise from the waterfall. Bill wondered if Laura could hear it. He couldn't keep his eyes of the girl sitting beside him and realized that she was blushing a lovely shade of pink.
"Uh… So you like the - uh - the locket?" he asked, feeling his throat tighten as Laura turned to look at him. She did look very pretty when she blushed, he thought.
Laura nodded shyly and smiled slightly. She had startled herself when he impulsively leaned over and kissed Bill on the cheek. Now, she was almost paralysed with embarrassment and couldn't look him in the eye. What would he think of her now?
He had been silent then and she found herself starting to worry. Now that he had showed he could still speak, Laura felt relieved. Still, what had possessed her to kiss Bill Adama? He was saying something and she wasn't listening. She couldn't pay attention actually. He was a very nice-smelling boy, she thought and blushed some more, feeling slightly silly. But she clutched the locket tightly, telling herself that she would keep it forever.
"…and you can wear in now if you like," he was saying and gesturing. Laura giggled slightly. "Anyway, they're coming over tomorrow and -"
"Who's coming over tomorrow?" Laura interrupted, confused.
"Saul and the rest," he said, casually.
Laura tried her best to hide her disappointment. "Oh."
She looked away, a heavy ache suddenly developing in the pit of her stomach. Maybe if she told him that she wasn't coming over tomorrow, he would tell her that she needn't worry about his friends and that he would make sure they wouldn't belittle her. Bill watched her curiously. "I don't like it when they come," she admitted to him, softly. "You always leave me alone when they're here."
Bill contemplated her words and suddenly stood up, walking to the edge of the stone. Taking a deep breath, he placed his hands on his hips. "I will never leave you alone, Laura Roslin!" he declared, and his voice echoed throughout the creek. Laura thought Bill was the handsomest boy she had ever known. He turned to look at her over his shoulder and beamed when he saw her grinning at him. "And if Saul or any other person says that I shouldn't play with you, then he's a butt!"
Bill couldn't keep the grin from spreading across his face as Laura dissolved in peals of laughter. He faced the front again. Without thinking, he blurted out the words that have been playing in his mind since he decided to give Laura the locket. A boy and a girl would marry if they liked each other, he thought, determined. That was what his Ma told him when he asked why people got married so he was fairly certain that he was right.
"And when I'm a Viper pilot, I will come back and marry you, Laura!"
Abruptly, the laughter stopped and Laura stared at him, eyes wide as saucers. "You will what?" she repeated, the silver locket with its chain slipping from her still fingers. What?
Gathering up his courage, Bill turned to face her. "When I become a Viper pilot, I will come back and marry you," he stated, sounding as though he told girls that he would marry them every day. "So we can be together forever!" he declared, looking confident as ever.
Laura giggled, shyly. "We are already together, silly." She couldn't help the pleasure in her voice. Bill Adama wanted to marry her! She was almost dizzy with delight.Bill Adama wanted to marry her! The same thought ran through her mind the whole day through until she fell asleep that night with a pleasant smile on her face.
-
When Bill was leaning against a large tree, his face buried in his arms and counting to fifty in a game of hide and seek, Laura realized that she did not, in fact, have the silver chain around her neck like she had previously thought. And thinking about it, she remembered that she never did wear Bill's gift after he gave it to her yesterday.
Realizing that she must have most probably dropped or left it somewhere near the creek, she abandoned her search for a good place to hide and instead, ran as fast as she could to the creek.
"Where are you going?" Saul whispered from under a bush, not wanting to expose himself.
Laura stopped and ran back to where Saul was. "I need to go to the creek. I dropped something. I'll be back soon!" She left a bewildered Saul behind as she disappeared between the trees. She would just look for it on the rock and then go back to the rest. All she hoped for was that she found the locket.
The moment Bill heard the sharp cry echoing from the direction of the creek, there was no doubt that it was Laura. His heart told him that it was Laura and so he just knew it. He could feel it in his bones. He stilled, listening intently for another cry.
Saul crept out from under the bushes and ran up to Bill, now realizing what was going on. "Laura's at the creek! She said she was going to look for -" he said as fast as he could but before he could finish, Bill was already gone. Saul ran after him and so did the rest once they had come out of their hiding spots.
Bill ran as fast as he could to the house, the wheels in his mind turning at record speed. He needed to get help, he thought. Laura needed help. He needed a grown up to help. He needed -
He burst through the door only to slam into someone with an; "Oomph!" and fell back onto the floor.
"Hey kiddo," Bill heard and scrambled to stand. Following his instinct; he grabbed his father's hand, dragging him outside.
"Will?" he heard his mother, but the blood pounding in his ears became a roar when the only thing he knew now was to go to Laura. Laura needed him.
"Hey, hey… What's the rush? No 'hello, Pa' first?" the older man teased his young, obviously flustered, son. "This is no way to greet your Pa," he chuckled.
"Laura's in trouble!" Bill cried, dragging his father along. The rest of his friends ran up to him as he dragged his father along.
"Laura?" Evelyn echoed, running down the stairs, the commotion unsettling her. "What happened?!"
"Laura's in trouble! I heard a scream from the creek! I know it's her! She needs me!" Bill cried, his eyes glittering with desperation and determination. "Come on!" he cried, pulling his father harder.
"Laura?" his father repeated again, now looking more serious. The last thing he expected when he returned home was to be surrounded by a group of boys wanting his help. This was serious.
"Laura, Joseph. The neighbours' little girl!" Evelyn exclaimed. "The neighbours' girl!"
By then, Bill was already running towards the creek. He turned around and was relieved to see that his father was running behind him, a worried expression etched onto his handsome features. Saul and the rest trailed behind as his mother stood waiting at the porch. He picked up his speed, the same mantra running through his thoughts.
Hold on, Laura. Hold on. I'm coming. Hold on, Laura.
To be continued…
A/N - Please leave reviews! There's no such thing as too many! I want to know what you think! Thanks for reading!
