A/N: I apologise profusely for the delayed posting on this chapter. At first real life got in the way and then the chapter itself caused me a lot of trouble. I don't know what happened specifically but I really struggled with the first portion of this one so any feedback you have to offer is greatly appreciated.

Thanks to everyone for their wonderful encouragement and feedback on the last chapter and for keeping up those encouraging hit numbers. I feel just terrible for making you wait so long for this chapter and really hope you like it.

Warning: bad stuff happens throughout this story, if you don't like that please find something else to read.

P.S. I don't know if anyone cares but I changed the summary for the story to reflect the direction it's taken as it's gone on.

Chapter 10

After the three men left her cell she'd drifted, blissfully free, in a comfortable darkness.

For the countless days she'd been there, her life on the Queen had been much the same. Her world had been reduced to a haze of pain, anger and fear. Locked here in this cell, with the single light burning all the time as she slipped in and out of consciousness, Kara had no idea how long she'd actually been there but she figured it had to be a few weeks at least.

The only break in the utter monotony of her captivity was when Zarek or one of his men entered her cell. Their visits were sporadic and unpredictable, sometimes lasting minutes, other times, Kara was sure they stayed for hours. She was sometimes left alone for what felt like days at a time but at others had barely a few minutes between the men who came and went.

After they were done whatever they'd come in to do to her, she would usually drift away again. Sometimes she'd slipped thankfully into unconsciousness before they left and other times, once they'd finished with her and left her alone once again, she'd left the pain behind by telling and retelling herself the stories of the scriptures.

She'd decided sometime in the first week or so of her captivity that she would die before she surrendered to Zarek and his men. The way she saw it, the only thing she could do was simply fight until she couldn't fight any more. Between visits from the men, escaping into those stories gave her the break she needed to rally her energy and keep herself focused on her goal. And so, just as she had as a little girl, she fled into the safety of those familiar stories, sometimes to escape the pain and reality of what was happening in that moment, sometimes to keep her mind from drifting to areas she knew would weaken her.

As her time in captivity wore on and her captors' brutality took its toll on her body, her consciousness had gradually become more fluid. She'd floated in and out of reality: images and events had swimming past her, some razor sharp, some fogged and distorted. The beatings and attacks blurred together and mingled with the ever present gnawing of hunger in her belly to create a haze of agony that swung between dull aches and searing pain. As more time went by, she realized her grip on consciousness was slowly slipping and when she'd eventually awake after the men left, she'd have to struggle to piece together her recollections of the past few hours, trying to separate them from dreams, delusions and memories of her past.

After a while she realized that her moments of clarity were becoming fewer while the time in between them appeared to be becoming longer. Thoughts, dreams, memories and present experiences blurred together as she simply floated within her aching body, sometimes hearing the Commander whispering in her ear, asking her what she heard, sometimes hearing her mother murmuring prayers or cursing at her. She'd drifted between seeing and hearing things she knew weren't there and fighting not to see and feel what was really happening.

Suddenly, an unknown length of time after she'd drifted away from the pain of the burns that streaked across her chest and arm, a clear memory of Lee's voice floated through the darkness, bringing a slap of emotion so hard and fast she snapped back into herself. Lee. Thank the gods, Lee knows where I am. Hope warred with caution. What if it's just another one of Zarek's mind-fraks? What if it's just another way for him to break me? Remember what happened last time he said he was talking with the Galactica, Thrace? Vague memories of tricks, lies, crushing disappointment and even gut wrenching grief mixed together as she desperately flung her mind back over various conversations she'd had with Zarek since her capture. Gods damn it, think girl!

She tried to remember just what had happened but the memories blurred together with dreams and phantom voices. How many times had she dreamed of Lee and woken thinking she still heard his voice? How many times had Zarek told her he was negotiating with the fleet and that if she'd only cooperate with him, he'd let her go?

No, no, I really heard him.

Didn't I? Did I?

A sob welled up in her chest. She couldn't be sure. She just didn't know. She thought she really had heard Lee's voice crackling with static as it came over the wireless but she wasn't sure of anything but the pain any more. The pain that was now joined by a desperate longing just to hear his voice again.

She felt that longing in every ache in her abused body as her heart struggled under the weight of all the thoughts and emotions she'd worked so hard to keep bottled up over the past few weeks. She felt her control slip and tears fought their way to the surface as she desperately tried to shut it all down; to turn off the emotion and the thoughts of … home. Oh gods, please just let me go home.

Once again, Lee Adama was slipping through her defences and she knew that if it wasn't true, if he wasn't coming for her, it wouldn't matter because she didn't have the strength to keep fighting.

Oh gods, please let this be true. Warm tears ran down her cheeks. Lords of Kobol, hear my prayers, she begged. If you see it fit, please guide Lee and bring him to me. If not, please release me from this body so that I might rest easy with you in Elysium. I've fought as hard as I can and I'm sorry but I just can't fight any more. Please, if you can't bring me home to the Galactica, please bring me home to you. So say we all.

Another coughing fit rose in her chest. The pain that followed each cough had her struggling to suppress them but when her breathing became even more ragged she gasped and struggled for air. Instinctually, she brought her left hand to her chest. The wave of pain that flooded out from both her hand and her chest swamped her and she felt herself slipping under once again.

Images ran seamlessly through her mind: Zak, his smile uncharacteristically shy as he pulled the small jewellery box out of the pocket of his flightsuit. The Commander smiling a greeting at her as she jogged by on her morning run along the corridors of the Galactica. The thrill of excitement watching a raider explode after her shot found its mark. Lee grinning at her through the bars in the brig when he'd walked back into her life just before the end of the worlds. Lee shouting at her, his eyes snapping with frustration. Lee grinning at her from the cockpit of his viper as they flew together in the CAP. Lee moving over her, his face flushed with pleasure that echoed her own.

A bright slash of pain made her flinch but her hand screamed as she instinctually moved it to cover her chest once again.

Drifting back under, different images: Her mother locking her in that dank closet once again. The belt, the only thing her mother had kept of her father's after he left on her fourth birthday . The burning in her wrists where the ropes tying her to her bed had cut into the skin. Her mother holding her little fingers against the doorjamb, smiling at her with that cold smile while she gripped the heavy door and reassured the sobbing five year old that it was what the gods wanted. The pain in her fingers. The beating she'd gotten the first time she ran away at age ten. The worse beating she'd gotten when the police brought her home a week later. The pain of the countless slaps, smacks and belts. The mask of rage that twisted her mother's face as she screamed at her, struck at her, the day they'd returned home to find her father gone.

Kara shifted, moaning, and cried out from the pain even her smallest movement caused.

Memories flowed into dreams: She was lying comfortably in her rack on Galactica and it felt so good to just lie there, clean and comfortable in her tanks and sweats. She'd been away, she didn't know where she'd been, but she knew she was glad to be home. She heard someone moving around the room and a warm smile spread across her face. Lee was back from CAP. Gods, she had missed him. The idea of sneaking out of her rack and surprising him with her presence back on the battlestar turned the smile into a grin but before she could sit up, her privacy curtain was thrown back.

Expecting to see Lee looking down at her with those familiar blue eyes, she was stunned to see her mother looming over her with her well-worn copy of the scriptures in one hand and that cursed belt in the other. Yelling at her, telling her what a bad little girl she was, what an evil little soul she was, her mother brought the belt down repeatedly on Kara's arm and chest. The belt was on fire and mean looking flames licked the edges of the worn leather. Flashes of white hot pain lingered where the dark leather met her flesh.

Arranged behind her mother, leaning against the lockers, lounging on the bunks and playing cards at the table, were the gods and heroes from the scriptures. Most of them ignored her and those who's sight drifted over to Kara and her mother looked on with disinterest. She tried to call out to them, to beg for their help and protection but her throat was closed and nothing came out.

Apollo sat next to his sister, Artemis, at the table but while she joked and laughed over the card game, he sat hunched over a large stack of papers, writing determinedly. With every snap of the belt across Kara's skin, the young god flinched but made no move to help her. He sat, working away patiently until finally he finished with the paperwork and only then looked up at her. Blue eyes stared intently into hers as the belt came down again and again across her flesh. He opened his mouth and spoke slowly to her but Kara could not make out what he was saying, his words lost in the chaos of the crowded room and the sound of her mother's prayers.

Suddenly the hatch to the officers' locker flew open and Lee was standing there watching. He looked at her, anguish twisting his face. Tears filled his blue eyes as he looked between her, her mother and Apollo who still sat looking at Kara. Looking at him she felt his pain; the betrayal that tore at his heart sliced neatly through her. Slowly, he turned away as her mother's belt struck at her, licks of pain streaking across her body with each blow.

"Lee!" She tried to call to him but she could barely catch her breath and it came out as a whimper. She needed to tell him, to make him see, that he could make them all go away, that he could both save her and have her if he would only speak.

She tried again but choked on his name, gagging as the belt snapped down on her chest once again. He lowered his head and turned to walk away. Her mother dropped the belt and Kara saw an eyedropper full of clear liquid replace it in her hand.

"Lee!" this time she managed more but was left choking by the attempt. The sight of the liquid in the dropper sent her heart pounding. She didn't know what it was but she knew it was bad. Mumbling prayers, her mother approached Kara. Placing a hand on her forehead to hold her still, Kara watched, frozen as her mother brought eye dropper down towards her eye.

"Lee!" She tried to cover her face with her arms but cried out in pain as soon as she moved them.

"Kara."

He'd heard her, he was coming for her.

"Lee!"

She wouldn't hurt her anymore. They couldn't hurt her anymore.

"Kara. Hey, Starbuck."

That wasn't Lee's voice. She wasn't on the Galactica. She was on the Astral Queen and someone was in the cell with her.

Gods no!

Her instincts kicked in before she was even fully alert. She swung out with her right fist as hard as she could as she struggled to scoot herself away from the figure crouched in front of her. She felt her fist connect solidly before the sleeve of her flight suit slid down and sent pain searing up her arm. She cried out in spite of herself, quickly bringing the arm into her chest and sending another wave of pain through her body as the material of her flight suit made contact with her skin. She gasped, trying desperately to suppress the wave of nausea that followed the pain. She struggled to focus her vision on the man in front of her as her breath rasped in her throat. The wave of adrenaline that had shot through her when she woke was ebbing quickly, leaving thick, oily fatigue pulling at her mind as the darkness swirled threateningly.

--

The image of Kara alone in that room with those monsters had hovered behind Karl's eyes ever since he'd found himself waiting alone in the War Room. The need to get to her and get her safely back on board the raptor dominated his thoughts. He barely even registered the fact that they'd made history with the successful jump into the cargo area of the Astral Queen.

Gods, why Kara? Hasn't she been through enough? Karl struggled to push the thoughts of his friend out of his mind and focus on the op, knowing full well that they needed every advantage they could get and that a distracted soldier was a liability in the field.

After his successful and surprisingly uneventful landing, he followed the Sergeant and the majority of the marines out into the corridor, leaving two men behind to guard the raptor. They made their way without incident to the isolation cells where they had presumed Kara was being held. Their assumptions appeared to be confirmed by the two men standing guard outside one of the doors. The marines quickly took out the guards with silenced pistols before opening the hatch they were guarding. After ensuring the room was safe, however, they stepped back to let Helo go in on his own. The stale air in the cell made him gag. The raw smell of human confinement was tinged with a slightly sweet burnt smell that curdled his stomach.

Glancing around, the sight of her curled on the floor in the middle of the empty room tore through him. She looked so small, so vulnerable, lying there on the metal floor. Helo rushed to her side and shuddered as he dropped to his knees next to her. Oh Frak me. Her face was drawn, her cheeks hollow, dried blood covered her upper lip and chin, it looked like her nose had been broken and one of her eyes was swollen almost shut with angry looking purple bruises. Her eyelids were fluttering as she groaned and twitched. She moaned something he couldn't make out.

His heart broke as he watched her fighting for air, listening to each wetly ragged breath she struggled to drag into her lungs. Gods Kara, what have they done to you? Helo set his jaw firmly, trying to focus on his mission. He placed a gentle hand on her forehead. She flinched at his touch but he couldn't bring himself to break that connection. Her skin was hot and dry under his palm.

She moaned unintelligibly again and whimpered in pain when she tried to move her arm.

"Kara," he said softly. He knew they had to move fast before Zarek realized they were there but he didn't want to frighten her.

"Lee," she croaked, her voice rasping over lips cracked by fever and seemingly split some time ago by a fist or perhaps a boot.

The desperate tone in her voice cut through his heart like a handful of icy razors, "Kara," Helo called softly, "Hey, Starbuck."

Her eyes fluttered again before they flashed open.

Helo barely even felt the pain that burst across his jaw. The look on her face when she awoke and realized he was there sent an icy shudder down his spine. In all the time he'd known her, through all of what had happened in the past few months, he'd never seen a look like that on Starbuck's face. Starbuck's default reactions to almost everything were either amusement or anger. Even after Sharon had told her about the baby farms and the future she'd narrowly escaped when she'd gotten away from the hospital on Caprica, she'd looked pissed and disgusted and maybe a little spooked but nothing even close to this.

He'd never seen terror on her face and knowing he'd caused it, however unintentionally, left him shaking and stunned. After struggling to get out of his reach she lay curled on the floor, gasping in pain. He wanted to reach for her, to draw her to him and comfort her, but he knew he couldn't. It wasn't that easy.

"Kara," he said in a low voice.

He swallowed the tears that were choking his voice, willing himself to be calm and reassuring despite the panic that was building in his chest. He knew Starbuck and he didn't want to think about what kind of treatment it would have taken for her to be reduced to that kind of fear. He wanted to think about the treatment her captors would receive if he had his say once the op was over but he knew she needed his focus now. Get her through this, Helo. Just get her home.

"Starbuck, it's ok. It's just me, Helo," he spoke softly and calmly, willing his voice to sound smooth and reassuring despite the chaos of emotions raging through him. "It's Karl. Hey…"

A voice drifted in through the pain and nausea. No, it couldn't be. Silhouetted against the single bright light mounted on the wall, she couldn't see his face. She felt a sob catch in her throat, is it really him? He's big enough to be Helo.

She felt hope rising in her chest before she managed to catch it and clamp down on it, hard, realizing that no matter what she'd thought before, she wasn't ready to give up the fight yet. Easy Kara. You're running on less than bingo fuel here, you can't go getting your hopes up just because this time Zarek sent some frakker who looks and sounds remotely like Karl.

She knew she was weak, that she was running out of time, and that she didn't have anything to spare on false hopes or the disappointment that would surely follow. Besides, no matter how badly off she was, she would be frakked if she'd give Zarek the satisfaction of tricking her into thinking she was safe and getting her to let her guard down.

"Frak you," she spat out, gaining strength from the anger she unleashed in that simple statement. Trying to get a better look at his face, she twisted her head to bring her good eye up.

He could see her shaking. Whether from fear, because of her fever, or in preparation to defend herself, he couldn't tell but he knew time was ticking away and the longer they stayed, the more difficult it was going to be to get her out of here safely.

"Kara? It's ok, it's me, Helo. Lee sent me to get you." He ducked his head into her line of sight, offering her a gentle smile.

She tensed when he moved, getting ready to throw out a kick if he came towards her but he turned his head just enough and she felt her heart stop when the light caught that distinctive jaw line.

"He-lo?" she whispered hesitatingly. Hope bubbled up in her despite her desperate attempt to control it until she was sure.

His tentative smile broke into a grin that was unmistakable.

"Helo," she gasped, the relief in her voice sent an answering wave of relief through him. She reached out her right arm, oblivious to the pain it caused as a rush of emotion overwhelmed her. "Karl… Helo, I…," she mumbled as he took her hand and moved in to gently stroke her face. She sobbed as she struggled to speak, "You're ok, you're here, you're…"

"Shhhhh," he murmured, brushing a strand of hair off her forehead. The pain and relief swirling in her eyes brought tears to his own. He wanted desperately to soothe and comfort her, to stroke away that pain. "It's ok, Kara. I've got you. You'll be home soon. It's gonna be ok, I promise. You're gonna be just fine," he said gently, smiling down at her. Listening to her ragged breathing and looking down at her pale face, he desperately hoped he hadn't just made a foolish promise.

It's over. Karl's here and it's over. It's finally over. I beat them. With that realization, she felt herself relax as a fresh wave of fatigue washed over her. This is it. I beat them, but it's too late. After all this time, I held out for so long, but he's too late, she thought as she felt herself slipping away.

She wanted to laugh at the irony of it but she didn't have the strength. She wanted to speak to Helo, to thank him and give him something to take back to Lee but it was all she could do to keep her eyes open and hold his steady gaze. Thank you, lords, for the strength you gave me but I'm ready now. I'm tired and I'm ready to come home to you now. She looked up as he bent over her, stroking her face soothingly. The last thing she saw was his smile and a single tear running down his cheek as she let go and let herself slip gently into the darkness one last time.

"Starbuck? Kara?" he shook her gently as her eyes fluttered closed. "Hey, come on, you have to hang on. I promised Lee I'd bring you home. Kara?"

He stared at her still form and felt panic warring with grief as emotion choked his throat.

--

So? Was it worth the wait? What did you think about the first part of the chapter? Like I said, I really struggled with it and even now am not completely satisfied but I just didn't know what else to do with it after writing and rewriting it several times. I hope you liked it but please feel free to let me know what you think.