Disclaimer: Battlestar Galactica belongs to Ronald D. Moore and the Sci-Fi channel. Margaret Vestry is mine and Diana Genoa are mine.

Chapter 10: Finders, keepers

On her way to the day-care, Roslin was intercepted by Tory. "Madame President, what's going on? You have a meeting with the education committee in half an hour," the younger woman reminded her.

Roslin glanced back in the direction of Life Station before replying. "Margaret Vestry, one of the Quorum members from Picon, ended up with a concussion. I've volunteered to look after her son until she recovers."

"But Madame President, you hardly have time for-"

Tory's protest was cut off. "Margaret is my friend. Besides, a little practice won't hurt," Roslin interjected.

The aide sighed resolutely. "Alright. If you insist on this course of action, I can watch the child while you're in the meeting, if you'd like," she offered as they continued walking.

Roslin smiled warmly. "Thank you, Tory. I appreciate this," she relayed.

The small blonde woman immediately looked up when Roslin entered the day-care. "Madame President, can I help you? Are you lost?"

The older woman smirked and shook her head. "Actually I'm looking for Margaret Vestry's son Tony. She was injured today and I'll be looking after him for a while," Roslin explained.

Timidly, the blonde woman smiled and walked over to a small boy playing with blocks. She took his hand and gently led him over to the president. "Tony, do you know who this is?" she probed.

Tony looked up and smiled. "Ma'am Pres'dent."

Roslin put her hand out to the boy. "Yes. Your mommy's sick right now, so I'm going to take care of you for a little while. Is that alright?"

He turned his head to the side, processing what she had told him. "Mommy be back later?"

"Yes, mommy will come get you later," she relayed.

"Okay, I go," he reasoned, taking Roslin's hand.

They walked down the corridors with Tory following until they reached the meeting. The three stopped and Roslin leaned down toward the boy. "I have a meeting. This is Tory. Can I leave you with Tory for a while?" she tried to persuade him.

He looked from one woman to the other in shock and wrapped his arms around one of Roslin's legs. "No, I stay with you 'til Mommy be back," he mumbled.

Roslin sighed. "Well, I guess that's the end of that idea. You'll just have to be my guest," she told him.

Once again he took her hand and they entered the room. There was normally a slight hush when she entered the room, but today the president was met by dead silence. She smiled and set up Tony in a chair before seating herself. Shortly he had migrated to her lap. "This is Tony and he's visiting today. I know this is unusual, but his mother's in Life Station. She's a friend of mine and I volunteered to look after him for a while."

A slight murmur of discussion passed through the room. Then the head of the committee looked up through his coke-bottle glasses. "Since this meeting will probably have something to do with his future education, he might as well stay." Roslin smiled appreciatively and the meeting began.

She took Tony on a few other errands with her and then they reached the quarters that she shared with the Admiral. Tory followed them to brief Roslin on a few other matters and by the time they reached the hatch, Tony yawned, ready for a nap. The president set him up on her cot and later joined Tory in the living room. She sighed and slipped her shoes off.

"It's been a long day," she stated.

Tory nodded in agreement. "Are you ready to look at the supply status?"

Roslin sighed wearily. "Better now than later," she replied, wondering where the admiral was.

Adama and Tigh had landed in a raptor with a few marines, following a few other groups. As they disembarked in what appeared to be a wheat field, they noticed a make-shift tent settlement and squared off sectors for corn, along with other vegetables.

"I thought we'd be finding wild roots. It looks like we landed in somebody's farm," Tigh mentioned.

Adama nodded in agreement as they walked closer to the tents, not having spotted the Cassiopeia yet. Beyond the crops were a few hills, with crevices and rocks that limited visibility. Adama paused and grasped his sidearm tighter. In the next moment they heard the unmistakable clicks of weapons ready for use.

"Freeze! Freeze trespassers, or die!" an unseen voice called out.

"Everyone stay where you are!" Adama told his people.

The voice spoke again. "No one's supposed to know we're here. How did you find us?"

"Your scrambled message said enough," Tigh added.

"Drop your weapons or we'll shoot!" was the next demand.

"We can't do that. You might be Cylons," the admiral called back.

"Then that's just-" a feminine voice cut off the first voice. "Hold your fire! I

said get that cotton outa your ears and hold your dang fire!"

Adama and Tigh exchanged glances. "There's only one woman in the universe who talks like that," Tigh stated. The admiral nodded as the group continued walking.

They were met by a group of armed military officers, headed by a slim black-haired woman. Her hair was pulled back into a short pony tail and though she walked quickly toward them, she limped. Her crystal-blue eyes glittered as she recognized them.

"Thank the deities the cavalry showed up! I knew it had to be you two. Holy raspberries, I never thought I'd see either of you again," she conveyed, approaching Adama and Tigh.

Both grinned. "It has been a while, Diana. What is all this?" the admiral questioned.

"I'll tell you in a minute," she paused, turning toward her own group. "Listen up! These men and women are colonials like us. I've served with these people and they're no threat to us, so hold your fire. Anyone who shoots deals with me!" she informed them.

"What happened to Falkner?" Tigh asked.

"He was a plum idiot and decided to go mountain-climbin' a few weeks ago. Son-of-a-gun fell and broke a few things. I'm in charge 'til he gets back on his feet," she explained.

They walked over a hill and in the valley was the Cassiopeia. It appeared undamaged and Diana could see her guests' curiosity. "Ship's fine, except for navigation. After the first three jumps following the attack on the colonies, our navigation decided to die. We knew it'd be too dangerous to keep jumping blind, so when we ended up here, we figured that the planet would hide us from the Cylons until we could figure out another plan. We've got five hundred people, fourteen of which are new additions," she began.

Adama rubbed his chin with his index finger. "How did you get a shield?"

"We lucked out, having a couple of geniuses onboard. They figured out how to use magnetic frequencies and some other confusing stuff like that to make a shield that'll knock out the electricity in ships that get too close. It also wipes out networks. The fact that you're here says that your ships don't use networks. You two still on Galactica?" she inquired.

"Yep, wouldn't be anywhere else," Tigh replied.

"What about the crops?" the admiral asked.

"The planet had some wild stuff. We cultivated that and added some of our own plants. We realized we'd likely be stuck here for a while and made ourselves at home. However, the energy for our shield isn't gonna last much longer, especially if there's a chance we could be back in space. What'er you two doin' out here?"

"The nebula was supposed to be another clue to finding Earth," Adama relayed.

Diana raised an eyebrow. "Earth, huh? Is that were you're goin'? Sounds crazy, but I know you, Bill, and if you think it's where we should be goin,' than I'm in. It'll take us a while to pack up."

Adama glanced back at the crops. "Can you take the food with you?"

She eyed him incredulously. "Hell yes! What good would it be if we couldn't? We've been doin' real well here and we've also got a huge surplus. And we found some animals that make great livestock, these white goat things," she mentioned.

"We've been eating algae. Real food would be terrific," Tigh conveyed.

"Sure, we'll share. Listen, I've got a lot of work to do, briefing my officers. We still have stuff that needs talking about. Could I come back with you guys to your ship after I've told them?" she inquired.

The admiral and the colonel both nodded. "Of course. We'll also send some engineers to fix the navigation," Adama relayed.

A few hours later, Diana joined Tigh and Adama in a raptor as they headed for Galactica. "We also found this temple thing, somethin' to do with the tomb of Hephaestus."

"I'd like to hear more about then when you meet with the president," the admiral commented.

"I forgot about that. It's been so long since we've seen any of you that I don't remember much about what happened in the first few days," she stated.

The three of them walked to Adama's quarters. He opened the hatch to find Laura attempting to show a coloring book to a boy he did not recognize. She looked up and smiled at Adama, standing and walking over to him. "Well, you're back in one piece, Bill. It's certainly been an interesting day," she mentioned as the two hugged and kissed warmly.

Suddenly Roslin realized that there were other people in the room and regained her presidential composure. Adama kept his arms around her waist. Diana glanced at the boy and then back to Roslin and Adama, chuckling. "Bill, you've been busy. I see you've got one up and causing trouble and one on the way. He doesn't look much like you though. Must take after his grandfather or somethin' like that. Better luck with the next one?" she teased.

Roslin blushes scarlet, realizing how the situation must look to a total stranger. She ran a hand through her hair and tried to find her voice. Adama looked at the boy and merely raised an eyebrow. His simple reaction was enough to put her at ease. "My friend, Margaret was injured and I promised that I would look after her son for her until she recovers."

"That's fine. It's time I introduced you to my friend," he paused and brought Diana forward to shake hands with Roslin. "This is Colonel Diana 'Artemis' Genoa. Diana, meet Laura Roslin Adama, President of the Twelve Colonies."

The black-haired woman beamed. "I'm glad he found someone who agrees with him. You look like the kind of person who won't let him hide from himself behind the 'Commander.'"

Roslin grinned back. "He's actually an admiral now, and he knows he can't hide from me."

"It really is great to meet you, ma'am," Diana conveyed. Then she looked over at Adama and gave him a scolding look. "You rascal, why didn't you tell me you got promoted? I'd have introduced you as 'Admiral Adama' to my crew if you'd told me." Glancing back to Tigh, she gave him the same look. "And I expected you to keep a better eye on him, lettin' him go off and get married and forget all about his duties," she goaded them.

The president laughed heartily, deciding that she liked this brash, unusual woman. Adama sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Letting you meet the president seemed more important than telling you I was an admiral at the time."

"Alright, I'll let it go. In fact, I'll even give you two a little space. Saul, how about showing me CIC for a while?" she suggested, stepping closer to Tigh.

He smirked. "I don't know if that's a good-"

"I'll bet you half a corn crop that my CIC's better than yours," she challenged.

They both headed toward the door. "You don't know what you're talkin' about. Our CIC's the best all around," he said as they left.

"What did you find down there?" Roslin inquired, giving a crayon to Tony and making sure that he did not eat it.

"They have food that they've grown as well as livestock, and they're willing to share it with us," the admiral responded.

She grinned. "That's fantastic. What about their shield?"

"They don't have enough energy to maintain it, so as soon as we can get their navigation systems repaired, they'll come with us. They have around five hundred people and from what I remember about the Cassiopeia, they're well-armed too," he replied as he got himself a glass of water and sat on the couch.

Joining him, she kept her eyes on the boy as he continued coloring. "I wonder why we were supposed to come here," she mused.

He took a long gulp of water before speaking. "She said they found the tomb of Hephaestus."

Roslin raised an eyebrow. "I'll ask her about that when she gets back."

"What did you think of her?" he inquired.

Smiling in thought, she turned to face him. "She's quite a character. What happened to Commander Falkner?"

"He was in charge, but apparently he had a hiking accident recently. Diana knows what she's doing," Adama answered.

"She wasn't an old flame of yours, was she?" Roslin probed.

The admiral chuckled and shook his head. "If I had a little sister, she'd be it. I can't speak for Saul, but to me she's a sister. I can't promise the same for her though regarding Saul."

The president glanced over at the door. "Does he know?"

"I don't know, but he'll figure it out soon enough. What happened with your friend?" he asked, glancing at the boy.

"Margaret was apparently knocked unconscious when something fell on her in a storage closet. I have Tory looking at the security tape right now to see what Baltar was doing at the time. He brought her to Life Station and insists that he did nothing wrong. Even Margaret says that it was not his fault," Roslin explained as Adama reached out to take one of her hands in his. She blushed and leaned on his shoulder for a while.

A knock at the door told them that their guest had returned. Adama let Diana back in to the room and she sat at the desk chair. "You run a good ship, Bill," she relayed.

He smiled. "I should hope so. We'd like to know more about the tomb of Hephaestus, if you don't mind."

"Sure. There were some stones and carvings, stuff on our mythology. You can come check it out if you want, but you aren't missin' much if you don't. We did ended up with some scrolls there though in some pots, missin' prophecies or somethin' nutty like that. They were in the tomb of Hephaestus. If you want 'em, you can have 'em because I sure don't have use for them," Diana mentioned.

Adama and Roslin exchanged glances. "That would be great," Roslin expressed.

While they waited for Diana to return, someone else knocked. Adama answered the door and found his son standing there. "Sir, I know the last time we spoke, it wasn't on good terms. But can we talk?"

The admiral glanced back at the president, who nodded. Though she had a few choice words for Lee, she wanted to hear what he had to say. Adama stepped aside and let his son enter the room. "Well?" the older man prodded.

Lee first looked over at Roslin. "Ma'am, I'm sorry about what Lampkin asked you. I don't know if you'll ever be able to forgive me, especially for the side I chose. I had to go with what I felt was right, and I'm sorry that I hurt you in the process."

She glanced down at her hands and sighed, as if summing up her thoughts. Then she looked up at him. "The road to the goals we think are right seems to be paved with potholes these days. What you did hurt, and I still don't fully understand it, but what kind of person would I be if I held a grudge against you for standing with something you believed in? What are you looking for, Lee?" she asked calmly.

He looked from her to his father. "I keep pushing the only family I have away. Dee was mad at me to and walked out. I want to fix things. I'm tired of leaving my family. Dad, I'm sorry."

The older man took a deep breath and placed a hand on his son's shoulder. "You got what you wanted out of the trial because you were right about a few things. It wasn't right to put all the blame on one person. We know you flew the last time we were attacked. Do you want to be part of the military again too?"

Lee could not gage his father's opinion on the matter. "Sir, I want to do my duty and follow orders again, yes, but first I want to be part of this family again," he admitted.

Father and son shared a look that Roslin could not read before the two men hugged. She heard Adama whisper, "Welcome back."

Then Lee looked back to her. "Do you think you could forgive me in time?"

Placing a hand on top of his, she smiled slowly. "I suppose. You might even be able to vindicate yourself if you volunteer to baby-sit once in a while."

He grinned and they all chuckled softly before the younger man stood. "Thanks. I need to find Dee," he stated as he left.

"At least we've got one less thing to worry about," Adama concluded after Lee had closed the hatch.

Roslin smiled softly. "It'll take more time, but it will be alright. We've all taken the first steps to getting along again and repairing things."

After they had received the scrolls, Roslin sat behind Adama's desk, studying them. The admiral was leafing through reports from the Cassiopeia on the planet when the president interrupted him. "Bill, come here. I think you might find this interesting."

"What is it?" he asked, leaning over her shoulder.

"I'll read it. 'The wasting disease of the prophetess will be cured by the blood of half-demon. A wizened warrior shall command at her side,'" she paused as he raised an eyebrow.

"'Wizened' must have been the word they used for 'old' when this was written," he stated wryly.

She smirked and shook her head. "I don't think you're old. And the next part gets even more interesting. 'They shall wed and the child they shall conceive will know the way to the lost tribe.'"

"Which means that our situation just got a lot more complicated," he commented.

"Possibly, but listen to this part too. 'Another wizened warrior with falsely perceive himself to be a demon, but in truth he hears what the demons hear and will identify one of them.' I'm not sure if it refers to Saul at that point, but these scrolls are probably the most interesting that we've come across," she remarked.

"It could. Diana's probably going to chase him down again," Adama mentioned.

Roslin smirked. "She seems to have a crush on him."

"She's known him for twenty years. When he married Ellen, Diana swore celibacy and I don't think she's broken it," the admiral mentioned wryly.

"Perhaps she'll be good for him," Roslin suggested. "She has a lot of energy and I can't believe some of what comes out of her mouth."

Adama grinned. "She's one of a kind. She can be nice, or she can be as stubborn as you or I, but you won't forget her."

"May that be said for all of us," Roslin added with a smile.

Tony slept on Roslin's cot that night while she and Adama squeezed into his bed. In the middle of the night both woke to the sound of crying. Closest to the edge, Roslin left the bed first, grabbing her bathrobe. "I'll check on him, you just go back to sleep," she suggested.

Adama sat up and watched as she moved the sheet-curtain aside to reach the boy. He was sitting up on the cot, looking around with tears streaking his face. "Oh you poor thing," Roslin exclaimed softly.

"I want Mommy!" he wailed, having awakened in an unfamiliar dark place.

Roslin sat down next to him and pulled him onto her lap. "Do you remember me?"

He studied her for a while and then nodded. "Ma'am Pres'dent, I want Mommy."

"I promise we'll see her in the morning, alright? You're safe here," she tried to reassure him.

She found Adama still sitting up when she returned, having convinced Tony to go back to bed. "You're pretty good with kids," he told her with a smile.

"I did teach kindergarten. He's a sweet kid, he just misses his mother," she stated, crawling back into bed, sighing.

"Worried you'll be a bad parent?" he probed.

"Yes," she answered quietly, turning to face him.

He pulled her closer and kissed her gently. "I think you'll do fine. I'm the one who could stand to learn a few things."

"Thank you. Goodnight, Bill," she mentioned quietly, resting her hands on his chest.

"Goodnight, Laura," he whispered as he kissed her forehead.

(My thanks to carolann, Kiyani, and Izabella Black for reviewing :D)