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WHAT IF?-Chapter -12
Kara and Lee meet through Caroline Adama.
Recap end of chapter-11*****The doctor said she was a perfectly healthy baby. Lee knew it would be a minute before they saw Starlight, so he leaned down and kissed his wife.
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After kissing her lips he moved to her cheeks then her forehead before finally kissing her on the neck making her shiver. Only the nurse tapping him on his shoulder made him stop kissing his wife.
Kara was about to push him back when she looked over his shoulder at the same time he knew their baby was behind him. Lee slowly turned keeping one of his hands in Kara's and stood there in shock as he fell completely in love with his daughter at first sight, kinda like he had with Kara.
Kara was even worse, she had tears streaming down her face grinning as she took her first look at Starlight, their daughter. Kara squeezed Lee's hand making him turn to her " Hand her to me Lee "
Lee froze " Kara I can't, I don't know how "
The nurse stepped up to him " Just hold your arms out like I am and when I pass her to you make sure you cradle her head in your hand "
Kara let go of his hand and tapped his back " You can do it Lee, since she is ours I'm pretty sure you won't break her "
Lee held his arms out to receive her " What if I drop her Kara?"
Kara chuckled " Then make sure you don't drop her Lee, I would hate to get out of this bed and kick your ass after just marrying you "
Lee laughed, she knew just how to calm him down. After Lee held her in his arms he couldn't stop staring at her. She had a touch of blond hair and a perfect face, he wished she would open her eyes.
Caroline, Bill and Zak stood silent through the entire exchange transfixed, each having similar and different thoughts. Kara and Lee had yet to see Bill or Caroline standing to the side.
Kara was content to watch Lee as the doctor and nurses finished up with her. The doctor stood up " You had a very good delivery Kara there were no complications, are you going to breast feed?"
Kara's eyes quickly jumped to the doctor " No I am not, I am a viper pilot and have every intention of getting back into one as soon as possible, Lee can bottle feed her baby formula "
That caught Lee's attention " Me, why not both of us?"
Kara smirked " Fine I will feed her during the daytime, but you have to feed her at night " Lee nodded once again looking at Starlight. Kara chose the daytime feedings because she was on maternity leave for at least a month. Her classroom work would be dropped off for her, so she wouldn't fall behind. Any tests she had would be set up through video feed which would be monitored.
Kara reached out and tapped his arm " Can you please let me hold my daughter now, you have had her long enough?"
Lee blushed " Sorry, now hold ou "
Kara snorted " Lee I heard her the first time, now give her to me "
As soon as Kara held her and looked her over from her feet to her head she was crying again " She is the most beautiful thing I have ever saw "
Caroline spoke up " Can we come closer and see her ourselves "
Kara and Lee's faces snapped towards Caroline's voice and that is when they saw Zak, Caroline and for Kara, Lee and Zak's dad for the first time.
Kara glanced at Lee to see him standing at attention " Yes Caroline and for fraks sake Lee it's your dad that is here not the Commander, at ease soldier "
Zak started laughing " Dad this is Kara who is now Lee's wife and mother of his daughter, gosh you guys don't waste time "
Adama had no idea what to say " It's nice to finally meet you in person instead of the video feed " he paused at a loss as to what else to say.
Kara helped him along " You also and I'm glad to be a part of your family, I hope in time you will feel the same about me "
Adama smiled " Don't worry I already do, Caroline made sure to tell me how important you are to her and Lee "
Zak snorted " You left me out, I happen to think she is pretty special myself, but I am afraid Starlight has stole her spotlight "
Kara giggled " Lame joke Zak "
Lee stepped farther up toward the top of Kara's bed to give his mom room. Caroline kissed Kara's cheek first then lightly touched her granddaughters cheek " She is beautiful Kara and welcome to the family officially, cause you were already a part of it before marrying my son "
Caroline turned to Lee and pulled him into a hug " Congratulations on your marriage and your daughter, and Lee, thank you for this and by that, I mean Kara and Starlight "
Adama stepped up close to the bed next to look at his granddaughter. His first thought was how something so small could grab a piece of your heart so fast without even knowing her. He also thought the name fit her perfectly. As much as he thought his sons were beautiful children when they were born they didn't hold a candle to how beautiful Starlight was. " You did good Kara she is lovely " Adama reached out to grab a finger and was surprised when she curled it around his.
Adama then turned to Lee and pulled him into a short hug " Congratulations Lee on everything " he chuckled " I told you she was a keeper and I mean it more now than I did before "
Lee was shocked and was saved from responding back as Zak spoke up " I can't believe I am an uncle and as one I reserve the right to spoil her rotten "
Before anyone else got the chance to hold her the nurses came by to take her to the nursery to run tests, then ran everyone except Lee out of the room saying Kara needed to rest.
After everyone said their good-byes Kara and Lee were finally alone.
Kara scooted over and tapped the bed " Lay down with me Lee, it will be our first time as married people "
Lee grinned remembering the rushed wedding as he laid down next to her " I'm sorry we had to get married so fast "
Kara laid her hand on his stomach " I'm not, it fits with the way we have done everything else, fast "
They spent the next ten minutes talking about Starlight before they both fell asleep.
[ ]
Before Kara and Lee knew it a month had passed.
Kara spent her days taking care of and playing with Starlight and keeping up with her classes.
Lee would spend the evenings with her, getting to know her and doing his classwork while Kara went for a walk or did light workouts at the campus gym.
No matter what they made sure to spend time together as a family and after putting Starlight down for the night Kara and Lee made time for each other. They would all three be separated in three months, something they were desperately trying not to think about.
When Kara started going back to her classes at the Academy they had worked out a schedule. Caroline would come and stay with them Monday through Wednesday and on Thursday and Friday Starlight stayed with their neighbor next door that they had gotten to know really well. She also kept her sisters child two or three times a week.
The weekends they spent together either at home or at Caroline's house. They lived for the weekends cramming as many family oriented things into them as they could.
Kara would just sit and watch Lee and Starlight together storing as many memories as she could to take with her.
She also continued working on the scrapbook for Starlight and secretly made one for Lee to take with him and she made herself one also.
[ ]
Classes were over and graduation came next, they should have been excited, but both their thoughts were on leaving in two months.
Lee got stationed on the Atlantia and Kara got placed on the Pegasus.
Starlight was three months old now and would be five months old when they left.
Kara and Lee agreed to leave her with Caroline who was overjoyed about having Starlight with her. They rented the house for another year, so Caroline could bring Starlight there when one or both of them got leave. It would make their time together happy to be in their own home.
[ ]
Over the next two months Kara and Lee agreed to spend every night together as a family.
They went out to dinner, to the movies, toured museums and took Starlight at least once a week to watch vipers take off and land, she loved it.
Kara also went once a week with Mike to practice shooting and honing her sniper skills. One day as they finished Mike asked her and Lee to go out dancing with him and his girlfriend.
Kara thought about it and decided that her and Lee both needed a night out with adults drinking and dancing. With her mind made up she agreed " Sounds good, just let me check with Lee before you make any plans "
Mike grinned " I can't believe you agreed, I was half afraid Starbuck had disappeared underneath all that domestic bliss that surrounds you lately "
Kara snorted " Not likely " then she shrugged " Lee and I are having a hard time dealing with our family becoming separated, so we are trying to cram as much family time in as we can before we have to leave "
Mike knew she needed to hear something positive " It will pass before you know it and the times you do get to see each other will be perfect moments in time "
Kara laughed as she was putting her rifle away " Didn't know you were a poet Mike "
Mike shrugged as he got into his truck to drive away, but not before saying " Call me as soon as you ask Lee about going out "
Kara arrived home only to find Lee and Starlight asleep in the lounger out back stomach to stomach with her legs and arms hanging loose beside her. Lee had one hand on her back and one underneath his head, so Kara ran inside and grabbed her camera to capture a perfect moment. One she would never forget, the one that would get her through some of the worst times of her life, she had yet to live.
Kara sat down and just watched them. As she sat there she once again remembered that if she hadn't ran into Caroline Adama that day she would not be the person she was today and it also meant she wouldn't have the two people she loved the most in this world asleep in front of her right now.
Kara knew she owed Caroline more than she could ever describe, but she also knew she had made Caroline's life better herself.
Lee had been awake watching Kara knowing she was deep in thought " A cubit for your thoughts?"
Kara jumped " Frak Lee, are you trying to give me a heart attack?"
Lee chuckled causing Starlight to bounce " No, is something wrong?"
Kara got up and sat on the edge of the lounger so she could rub Starlight's back " Just thinking, anyway Mike wants us to go out dancing and drinking with him and his girlfriend one night soon "
Lee waited for her to say more " Well, what did you tell him?"
Kara shrugged " Okay, but I needed to ask you first, so what do you think?"
Lee tried to remember the last time he went out and then it hit him, frak that was the night he went out intending to have sex with another woman. " Yeah okay, I guess so "
Kara smirked " I promise it won't kill you to go out Lee, besides we have never gone out dancing and I think it will do both of us some good to have some adult fun "
Lee snorted " Kara we have adult fun almost every night "
Kara reached up and thumped his forehead " That is not what I meant, although I will expect that also when we get home "
Lee was rubbing his forehead " Why in the frak did you thump me?"
Kara leaned over Starlight and kissed his forehead " It was the only safe way to hit you without hurting Starlight, and I kissed it, so it should feel better already "
Kara picked her daughter up and stood up walking her around talking baby talk to her " Hey baby girl you wanna go see dada's goldfish?"
Lee lay there watching them knowing there wasn't any place in the twelve worlds he would rather be than right here right now. That thought was quickly followed by the fact that they only had two weeks left before they left for their battlestars.
Lee saw Kara's camera and picked it up to take a picture of them together. Kara usually took the pictures which meant she wasn't in a lot of them, today she would be.
After calling Mike and deciding on this Saturday night because Starlight would be with her Grammy ( Caroline ) Kara hung up and went to bathe Starlight while Lee fixed dinner.
[ ]
Caroline had just hung up the phone after talking to Bill for the last thirty minutes.
Caroline had been talking to Bill at least once a week after Starlight was born. Sometimes he called her and when she had news about their grandchild she would call him.
Although they never said it aloud they both kept it from their sons that they talked weekly.
Caroline had called Bill to let him know she would be keeping Starlight Saturday night while Lee and Kara went out.
Bill had told her he would be within range this weekend and asked if she cared if he stopped by to see Starlight.
Caroline had no idea what came over her as she blurted out " Why don't you stay here with us instead of getting a room?"
Bill was glad for the offer, but nervous " I would like that if you are sure about me staying "
Caroline sighed " I'm sure, besides Starlight needs to spend time with both her grandparents "
Caroline hung up the phone knowing she would have to tell Kara, so the boys didn't find out, even though there was nothing happening.
[ ]
It was Friday afternoon and Kara had just put Starlight down for a nap.
Lee had gone to the bank to add his mom to their bank account in case something came up involving Starlight.
Kara had invited Zak over to eat dinner with them tonight, so they could discuss how Zak could help out with Starlight since he would be at the Academy.
Kara had a couple of hours before she needed to start dinner, so she was going to use that time to finish her and Lee's scrapbook.
The phone rang just as she was picking out photos " Hello "
Caroline spoke softly " Kara is Lee there?"
Kara shook her head before she remembered she was on the phone " Not right now, why?"
Caroline sighed " I need to speak with you tomorrow when you get here, but I don't want Lee to know, nothing is wrong it's just something personal about me, is that okay with you Kara?"
Kara chuckled " Anything for you Caroline, you know that "
Caroline exhaled " Thank you Kara and I'll see you all tomorrow, bye "
Kara hung up wondering what was going on, then the phone rang again.
She put the photos back down " Hello "
A man spoke " Lt Thrace you and your partner are being called in to help with a hostage situation downtown, Captain Davis said to meet him in the alley between Third and Oak Street "
Kara hung up and grabbed Starlights emergency bag and hers before grabbing Starlight and taking her next door knocking louder than usual. When their neighbor opened the door Kara only had time for the facts " I have been called in for an emergency, you can take her to Lee as soon as he gets back from the bank, bye gotta go "
Kara kept her rifle locked up in a special steel case behind the seat of her truck. To get to it you would have to go through two locking safety latches. Kara was allowed to get to the hostage situation by whatever means were necessary, so she drove fast swerving in and out of traffic. Kara knew how to drive her truck as well as she flew her viper.
Twenty minutes after the call and she was on site and out of the truck turning to grab her gun when the Captain stopped her " Kara, I'm sorry, but you are going to have to sit this one out "
Kara spun around to face him so fast she would have fell if she hadn't grabbed her door " Why in the frak would you want me to do that, Mike and I are your best team, sir?"
Mike walked up and Kara thought he was going to say the same thing, except he didn't " Kara the hostages are in the Caprica City Bank and Lee is in there, I'm sorry "
Kara turned away forcing herself to breathe, she knew it was protocol to stand down when it was personal, but the fact remained that Mike and her were the best and she needed to make sure Lee made it out alive.
She turned back to face her Captain " Sir I can do this, I have trained for this and I have gone through the Academy and I can do my job without emotions and you know we are the best " she paused a beat " Plus I know my husband and if he knows something that can help he will find a way of letting me know, but I have to be looking through my scope for that to happen "
Mike jumped in with his two cubits " Kara's right sir, plus her husband is a War College graduate and he will see things other people will overlook "
Captain Davis sighed loudly " Fine Thrace, but I am putting the other team in play along with you, get to your posts and I will keep you updated "
Mike asked " What are their demands?"
Kara tugged on his arm " Not our business Mike, now let's get set up "
Kara was getting by on adrenalin at this point. She knew she couldn't think of Lee as her husband right now, she needed to see him as just another hostage.
Mike chose a room on the fourth floor across from the bank which was only one floor. As he was setting up Kara looked around processing everything she saw. She hardly ever went into Caprica City and for the first time she saw that almost all the buildings had glass fronts to them. Glass always seemed to throw things a bit out of perceptive.
The second team who were at a different angle reported seeing three gunmen and the hostages were placed sitting in the center of the bank.
Kara also heard someone telling Captain Davis that there were three gunmen. When Kara heard that one of the gunmen was the one that told them that she got a weird feeling in her gut " Mike I need a scope now "
Mike handed her his long range scope as he was still setting her gun up " Here "
After shifting her position Kara finally saw the hostages and Lee, who looked straight at her like he knew she was there. Kara shivered and after scoping out the three gunmen herself she went back to Lee watching for some sign from him.
After another minute and him doing it twice she saw it, he raised one hand up like he was scratching his head, but he was clearly holding up four fingers, but why?
Mike stood next to her " It's ready Starbuck, what are you looking at?"
Kara moved to her rifle after handing him the scope " The reports are saying there are three gunmen, but I swear Lee is saying there are four, what do you think that means?"
Mike looked at Lee through the scope knowing him by Kara's description and saw Lee do the same thing " Maybe one of the hostages is another gunman "
Kara clicked her mike " Captain I believe we have four gunmen in the bank with one posing as a hostage "
Captain Davis trusted her instincts, but in this situation he needed to know " Why do you think that Starbuck?"
Mike answered " Sir, I saw it myself Starbuck's husband is clearly signaling four "
Sounded reasonable " Okay, but why would they play it that way?"
Kara thought she knew " They wanted to keep a close eye on the hostages in case they tried something "
Captain Davis sighed " And someone always tries to be the hero or they do something else stupid, so any suggestions as to how we find out who the fourth gunman is?"
Kara made another sweep of the hostages looking for something out of place and she knew Lee would do the same thing " Sir give my husband some time, he is looking for clues now and when he knows he will let us know "
Kara heard another sigh from her boss " Alright just keep your eyes on him, the other gunmen are talking about demands, so it should be a while, let's just pray no one tries anything stupid "
It seemed like forever to Kara before Lee signaled again " Mike watch Lee he is signaling "
Kara saw his hand clearly signaling to his right, she looked over seeing four people to the right of him three men one woman, then she looked back and saw him gently run his finger along his neck like he does to her " Aha I got it " she shouted
Mike looked over at her " What in the frak have you got, I didn't get anything out of that?"
Kara grinned " The fourth gunman is a woman and she is on Lee's right side "
Captain Davis broke in " Starbuck how sure are you and how do you know that?"
Kara snorted " I'm positive, but I don't think you want to know how I know, sir "
Captain Davis spoke " Okay we have two shooters and four gunmen and the Feds want us to take them out any ideas?"
Kara blurted " I have one "
Captain Davis chuckled " Of course you do, okay what is it?"
Kara took a deep breath " First my husband will take out the woman he has the element of surprise on her, second I take the gunman closest to my husband and team two can take out the one by the hostages, last I'll take the one out by the door "
Mike snorted " That is your brilliant plan, how do you know it is going to work?"
Kara rolled her eyes " I don't here anybody else coming up with one, besides I trust our team and my husband, it will work "
Captain Davis had no choice he had orders to take them down " You call the play Starbuck and give everyone the green light on your mark "
Kara had one more play that no one knew and she had to execute it, so Lee would know. " Team hold " Kara gave a quick burst of red from her scope to signal Lee " Team mark now "
What took hours ended in less than a minute.
Kara knew she shouldn't do it, but she didn't care.
Kara shoved her rifle to the side and jumped up running down the stairs and across the street elbowing her way through people trying to get to Lee when someone made the mistake of grabbing her from behind.
Kara turned just enough to elbow the guy in the stomach then kneed him between his legs as hard as she could.
He let go and she took off running into the bank before stopping and started spinning around and around trying to find Lee.
For a moment Kara felt her world shatter and that scared her more than anything ever could. Then she felt him step up behind her and gently say her name " Kara "
Kara could not turn around, her legs felt literally locked in place " I can't turn around Lee "
Lee had been helping an elderly man sit up against a wall when Kara ran in and he watched her looking for him then he saw her stop and he knew he had to get to her.
Lee slowly walked around her until he was standing five inches from her and pulled her to him hugging her as tight as he could, so she would know he was okay. " Let's go home Kara "
Kara finally felt herself fill back up because for a moment she felt empty. " I have to check in, technically I am not even supposed to be here "
Lee held onto her hand " Okay I'll come with you "
As soon as they walked out of the bank Kara saw Mike and Captain Davis across the street waiting on her, so she went to meet them even though she wanted to run from them .
Kara stopped when they reached them " Sir this is my husband Lee Adama, Lee this is my boss Captain Davis and my partner Mike "
Lee shook their hands " Thank you for saving all of us "
Mike snorted " Actually I think you and Starbuck made the plan up and we went along for the ride "
Captain Davis kinda agreed, but would not admit it " You did a good job Starbuck, but I am going to have to write you up for leaving your post, sorry "
Kara shrugged " I don't care, you do what you have to sir I'm just happy no one died here today "
Mike took a step away " I put your rifle in your truck and I hope we are still on for tomorrow night "
Kara grinned " We will be there, bye boss "
[ ]
They finally fell into bed after endless phone calls and having Zak over for dinner and putting Starlight to sleep.
They laid there facing each other knowing today could have been tragic.
Lee knew time was running out and he couldn't stop it, but he could love her now and until they parted.
Kara was thinking the same thing as she desperately reached for him.
The closer the time came for them to leave the more they made love almost as if they were trying to crawl inside each other. The more passionate it became was also when it felt the most painful.
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