Chapter Nine

"How's this?" Chief Gaelen Tyrol asked holding up the wiry mobile made of scrap metal.

"Perfect. I love the little helmets," Kara exclaimed tapping a finger against one miniature pilot's helmet and sending it spinning and twisting with the tiny vipers. "That is the cutest thing I've ever seen."

"Well, let's ask the true judge. How about it, Kaylee? Does it pass muster?" Tyrol asked leaning over the bundle in Kara's arms.

Kaylee smiled at Tyrol and whacked him in the face with the small wrench he'd let her hold.

"Ow." He rubbed his nose. "I'll take that as a yes."

Happy with the result she'd accomplished, Kaylee waved the wrench in excitement, trying to reach for his head and do it again.

"Lieutenant Adama to CIC. Lieutenant Adama to CIC," The page coming over the speaker made Kara groan. She'd wanted to go down to the mess to grab something to eat before going over her plans for tomorrow's class. She'd also hoped to get Kaylee fed and down so she and Lee could have some time to themselves when he got back. She didn't want to be detoured now.

Lee's father was waiting for her when Kara made it to CIC. The dour expression on his face made her step falter as a knot of apprehension tightened in her gut.

"Hey," she said hesitantly watching as Tigh rubbed a hand over his jaw.

"First, I want to make it clear that Lee is fine, all right?" William began.

Kara's grip on Kaylee tightened and the baby started crying in protest. Fine. Kara fought through her haze of panic to anchor herself to that one word. He's fine. Fine. Fine. Fine. "What the hell happened?" She hissed, shaking.

"There was an explosion on Cloud Nine-" Tigh began.

"What?" Kara demanded, her voice high.

"Remember he's fine, Kara. He's suffered a concussion and a few bruises and burns, but that's all," William broke in quickly.

"Burns. Oh Gods." Kara's vision blurred with tears and she felt as if her legs were going to buckle beneath her, so she pointed Kaylee towards William before she dropped her.

William gathered his granddaughter in his arms and held her close, a shudder going through him as he remembered how much worse Lee's injuries could have been.

"A Cylon infiltrated the signing and blew himself up," William explained, letting Kaylee amuse herself with his finger.

"Frak me," Kara whispered gripping the edge of the glass table in the center.

"Kara, he's fine-"

"I want a shuttle to Cloud Nine," Kara insisted.

"Lee said no. He wants you to stay here with-"

"I don't give a frak what he wants, Sir. I want clearance for a shuttle to Cloud Nine or with all due respect I'll just steal one and you can arrest me when I get back," Kara informed him, stiffening her spine which considering how badly she was trembling, was a rather impressive feat.

"We can just toss you in the brig now," Tigh pointed out smugly.

"But you won't." The statement was directed at her father-in-law.

William sighed and stared down at Kaylee, who stuck her tongue out at him. "You're right, I won't."

Kara watched Tigh roll his eyes in disgust but she didn't comment. She was too anxious to see Lee, to see him with her own eyes on him and see that he was really okay.

"You'll have it for 2 hours. After that-"

"But, Sir-"

"I wouldn't press my luck if I were you, Lieutenant. I want you back on the Galactica where it's safe and I know Lee will agree with me. He's already gonna give me an earful when he finds out I gave you clearance to go visit him in sick bay. There was a suicide bombing on that ship. You have a child to think about."

"Am I to take from your concern for Kaylee that you won't mind watching her until I get back?" Kara bit her lip and flashed her most beguiling smile at him.

"You really know how to press your luck, don't you?" Tigh asked with a snort.

"I'm going to be stuck here for a few hours but I'll find someone," William replied with a mock scowl.

"I'm Kara Adama. Where's my husband?" Kara asked, her heart racing. Despite Adama's assurance that Lee had suffered only minor injuries, she couldn't help panic over what could have happened. Dear Gods, after everything they had been through, to come so close, yet again, to losing it all. When would the Gods stop testing her?

The medic, a short black man, led her through the row of empty beds to the one with its curtain closed. He pulled it back and Kara's throat caught on a sob.

There lay her husband, the love of her life, caught in the middle of shooting peas from his mouth into a bowl resting at his feet.

"Kara?" He asked with an instant of pleased surprise before his face darkened and he choked on a pea in his obvious haste to give her what-for.

She rubbed his back until he got a hold of himself again.

His forehead was wrapped in thick white gauze and there was a large red welt running along his neck up to his jaw. There was an ugly bruise running down the other side of his face. Both hands were wrapped in bandages and Kara wanted to take them in her hands and kiss them…after he stopped yelling at her which he looked about ready to do right now.

"What the hell are you doing here? I told my dad I-"

She quickly closed her mouth over his to stop his tirade. Kara put all her fear and gratitude into the kiss. She held him as close as she dared and rested her hands on his shoulder, unsure of where else he might be hurt.

He growled, determined not to fall for her obvious ploy, but she could feel his resistant falling away as the kiss deepened and soon, his tongue was coming forward to meet hers. Then his hand came up between them and covered her breast, or tried to but his injury prevented him for touching her the way he wanted and Lee broke the kiss with a moan of frustration.

"I don't care if you're mad," Kara whispered, pressing her forehead against his.

"When have you ever?" Lee asked with a snort, running his injured hands up and down her back.

"I needed to put my hands on you. I needed to know for sure that you were all right," Kara wrapped her arms around him and held him tight. She couldn't stop shaking.

"Ow, Ah!" Lee jumped and sucked in his breath when she pressed against his thigh. She jerked back and pulled the blanket down exposing the bandage that ran along the entire outside of his left thigh. Her eyes were wide when they met his and he was glad she couldn't see the burn itself. The doctor said there would be permanent but very faint scarring on his hands and thigh but other than that, Lee was one lucky bastard.

"Hey, it's okay. I'm just banged up a bit. It doesn't hurt too badly, thanks to the drugs they pumped into me. They're just keeping me overnight so my dad doesn't sue them," Lee explained trying to keep his voice low and soothing as he noticed her growing agitation. "Kara. Shh," He nuzzled her cheek, darting soft kisses along her face as she breathed unevenly.

"I can't help it. I just…can't stop thinking how you-" She gave a soft moan of distress and her grip on him tightened.

"I know, Kara. I know." Truth be told, Lee had been a little shaken himself at how close he'd come to buying it. But oddly his fear had been a result of never being able to see Kara and his child again, never being able to hold them. It had been their faces he'd seen before he lost consciousness.

"Gods, look at me, blubbering all over you like a frakking moron. Sorry." Kara pulled back and tried to compose herself, but her hands were still trembling as she ran her fingers through her hair and her eyes were glistening with tears.

Lee took one trembling hand and brought it to his mouth, his eyes meeting hers in understanding. Her face crumpled and the tears that teetered on the edge of her lashes slid down her cheeks. She lowered her head and took a shuddering breath.

"We have so much, Lee. We have Kaylee, each other…I'm trying to just be grateful and enjoy everything we've been given but…but," Kara stammered, her voice hoarse.

Lee remained silent, keeping his hands on her but letting her give voice to the greatest fear he knew she still possessed.

"I'm waiting," she admitted, raising red-rimmed eyes to him. "I'm waiting for the Gods to decide we have too much and take something back. "

Lee nodded. "We don't know what the Gods are gonna throw at us, Kara. But look at what we've come through so far. Don't you think we've paid our dues? I know that little girl inside of you still thinks she's unworthy of being loved, but when you go home, I want you to pick up our daughter and look into her face and ask yourself if Kaylee needs to do anything for you to love her, or if you just do. Or if you can't wait that long, look in my eyes now. I don't love you because you deserve it, because you're a strong woman-"

"Ha!" Kara snorted with self-derision and looked away, but Lee forced her gaze back to him.

"Not because you're smart. I don't even love you because you're incredible in bed…though, I do rather in enjoy that part," he admitted with a wink that made her laugh through her tears. "I love you because I love you. It's as simple as that and it's an immovable fact. You don't need to do a damned thing except love me back."

"I do," she assured him passionately. "Gods, I do."

"So leave the Gods' business up to the Gods. Our business is to take every day we're given and give thanks. As long as we love each other and love that little one, nothing can touch us."

Kara took a deep shuddering breath, his voice soothing her so that her racing heart slowed its pace. "Lee?" She asked softly, leaning her head on his shoulder.

"Hmm?"

"That little girl you were talking about before?"

"Yeah?" He asked shifting around on the bed.

"She's not so loud anymore," Kara admitted softly.

"I'm glad," he said kissing the top of her head. "Kara?"

"Yeah?"

"I've got an itch I can't get to cause of these damned bandages,"

"Where? Your nose?" Kara asked lifting her head and her hand towards his face.

"Uh, no" He replied, his cheeks taking on a soft blush as he motioned with his eyes towards his lap.

A.N: Thank you so much to everyone who's given me feedback on this story so far. I'm replying to feedback through the reply links provides as it's the easiest way for me now. So if you'd like me to reply to you specifically about something, I think you'll need an account for to provide a reply link for you. I don't want anyone to think I'm ignoring them, I'd never do that, it's just easier for me to reply if a reply link is provided with the feedback. If you don't have an account, you could always give me feedback on my LiveJournal (nancy777ca) and I'll reply directly to you there.