The story is going even more AU. I want to go off in my own direction so in my little world so pretend that the Passage and Eye of Jupiter never happened.
Lynn, Ana, and Kara are all sitting at the briefing table listening to the debate going on about whether or not they could fly some Raptor missions to look for food.
Helo, looking exhausted, is getting more and more agitated as the debate goes on. "We need them sir, we don't have enough pilots even with them – most of the Raptor pilots haven't had more than three hours sleep a night for the past two weeks."
Cottle jumps in before the Admiral could reply, "No, there is a reason pregnant pilots are grounded. The g-forces are too much for the fetus' and I will not authorize them for this mission."
Helo runs his hand through his short hair and growls at Cottle, "Good thing the decision isn't yours…A couple missions won't hurt anything. And the sooner we can find a viable source of food the better off they will be anyway."
"There are too many risks associated with this. The g-forces could affect the children's lung and brain development. That could mean pre-mature birth, which is a hell of a lot more serious than it used to be. We don't have the necessary equipment to sustain the infants if they are born now, especially Captain Thrace's girls."
Lynn starts shaking her head, and Helo says "Look, we know that there are dangers. But there are three of them and thousands of others that need them to be in their frakkin' raptors!"
"Good thing the decision isn't yours." Lee says quietly. It wasn't the words so much as the tone that made everyone go silent. Kara shivers; there was something in the way he said it that told everyone of the unplesantness that would ensue this crazy idea was approved.
Helo starts to speak again but seems to think twice about it when his gaze falls on Lee calmly twirling a pencil in his fingers. If one were to look at him in passing, they wouldn't notice the slight tightening of his fingers or the frigid look in his eyes.
Hells, Lee is going to kill Karl if I don't do something. "Frak you Helo! You are one of my best friends, but you wouldn't ask Athena to get into one of those Raptors if she was pregnant. I will not do something you wouldn't let your wife do. And I am NOT going to put my daughters in that kind of frakkin danger just to make your life easier."
"And you do not have to Captain Thrace. None of you do." The Admiral says firmly. Kara smiles her thanks. "Thank you sir."
As Helo begins to say something more the President interjects, "Enough, all of you. The Captain and the Lieutenants do not have to participate. The mission to find a planet with a food source will continue without them."
Before Helo could try to say anymore, his wife grabs his arm and drags him out of the room. As the door shuts they can all hear Athena tearing into her husband. "What the FRAK is wrong with you? Starbuck is right, you would NEVER try to pull what you did in there if it was me…"
Kara pours over the video feed and the hard copy of the scans that the last raptor mission brought back trying to find something that even resembled a planet that might support plant life. Her stomach growled loudly and she rubs her stomach where the girls are kicking to try to calm them down.
Gods, why can't something be easy for just once? "Frak me…"
"It'll be a hardship but I think I can manage it."
Kara's head snaps to look at the door and sees Lee, grinning like a fool, leaning against the hatch casually. "That's not what I meant and you know it." She squirms uncomfortably under his amused stare.
"I brought you some food. You're going to eat it. All of it…" She starts to protest, "I have some for Casey, but this is just for you. If you don't eat all of it I will tie you down on the bed and shove it down your throat."
"Fine." She huffs. She eats it while once again staring at the survey printouts.
"Maybe you should take a break; you have been in here since before I left."
Without looking up she replies, "No, need to be doing this. Not enough people to do the surveys and analyze them."
He comes along side her and studies the printouts with her. "Kara?"
"What now?"
"When was the last time you slept?"
She rolls her eyes, "Isn't that what I should be asking you? Cause last time I checked you were the one that was running almost continuous recon missions."
He takes one of her hands, "Hey, I'm not carrying around two extra people."
She rolls her eyes again but doesn't pull her hand away and says nothing.
"Kara?" She groans loudly – he is using the voice. And she can almost hear him grinning.
He turns toward her and puts both of his hands on her shoulders near her neck. "Kara? Will you please get some rest…for me?"
She glares, "That's dirty. Unfair to the highest!"
Lee grins again. "Is it working?"
She looks away mumbling so that he can't understand what she is saying. He moves his hands so that they are cradling her neck and turns her face back toward him. "Is it working?" He asks again.
Gods what a beautiful mouth. She closes her eyes to try to get rid of that thought, out of sight out of mind. She crosses her eyes, "Maybe, maybe not. I haven't decided yet."
He watches her face thoughtfully as if trying to decide something. Apparently, he made up his mind because in the next instant lowered his face to hers and kissed her. At first she is too shocked to react but the shock clears quickly and she feels the heat sweep through her. One of his hands slide down her torso coming to rest just below her breast, leaving a trail of goose bumps.
Kara couldn't remember the last time she had been kissed like this. His tongue stroking hers combined with his caressing her breast through her tanks causes her to moan into his mouth. Her fingers unconsciously slipped through his hair to hold his mouth just where it was.
Lee had just got his hands under Kara's tanks when he hears the clang of the hatch being slammed. They both look over to see Helo smirking at them. "Need a minute?"
Kara grits her teeth, pulls away, runs her fingers through her hair, and turns back to the table to seethe. Lee glares at Helo, causing his smile to grow wider. "Sorry to interrupt you're…meeting but I think you have a recon survey to be doing Major."
"I'll see you tonight." He murmurs quietly as he hugs her from behind and kisses her neck lightly.
Kara nods absently. Once he is gone, she glances over at Helo, who is still grinning like an idiot. "Shouldn't you be getting some rack time?"
He laughs, "No, this conversation is going to be worth not getting any sleep."
She sighs loudly and tries to ignore him. "Alright alright, I won't say anything. For now anyway." He shifts uncomfortably, "I actually came here to apologize. I was out of line."
"No sweat Karl. I would have done the same thing had three pilots been out of action." She says dismissively.
Karl is incredulous, "Well that was easy."
She shrugs again. "No biggie. No harm done and I get over things more easily these days." She frowns looking closely at a point on one of the survey maps that the raptor patrols have been taking. Pulling another reference map she compares the two carefully. "Holy frak…I think I have found something!"
Helo rushes over to her. "See look," she points at a section of the map, "That, there! It indicates an oxygen atmosphere!"
Karl begins moving toward the door, "I'll tell the Admiral. We could have a Raptor out there by the end of the day…"
Kara grins down at the map. Food, FINALLY!
Kara, Lynn, and Ana are sitting in the hallway when Kat and Racetrack pass them. "Hey Thrace," calls Kat, "wish you were coming with us. Don't blame ya though."
Racetrack nods in agreement. "Agathon is off his rocker if he thinks any of us woulda let you three near a Raptor for this mission." Both women look dog-tired and Kara can't help but feel guilty.
Kara nods. "Thanks, I guess. But I wouldn't worry about Helo pulling that stunt again."
Ana groans "Gods I feel frakkin useless right now. I feel like I need to do more."
Kat shrugs and says, "Hey – No worries. Apollo and Helo will figure something out."
"What will I figure out?" Apollo asks curiously, as he comes around the corner.
Racetrack answers, "Oh, how to get along without…"
"Us." Lynn says grumpily.
"Hey, you all don't need to worry about it. We have everything covered."
Ana rolls her eyes, "Right, you do realize that something somewhere is going to go wrong? And you are going to be wishing for some extra pilots..."
The argument is cut off suddenly. "Starbuck!" Hotdog runs down the hallway.
"What now, Hotdog?"
"The transport to the Adriatic left."
Kara glances at Hotdog inquiringly. "…And?"
He puffs out a couple of breaths, "Casey wasn't on it and no one can find her."
Whew - I did it! Like I said before, updates are going to take longer now that I am back in school (ick - six classes this semester), but I will try to update at least once a week.
I hope you all liked it, don't forget to review!
