Author's Note: Well, I was going straight on to the tylium mission, but I couldn't resist writing my own version of 'dinner with the Tighs'. So the tylium mission is delayed till the next chapter. Hope you enjoy this one!

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Chapter Twelve

Lee wasn't sure if his words on Zak's behalf helped or not. Either way, Zak and Kara obviously sorted out their problems, because a few days later he walked into Kara's office to deliver a maintenance report and found them wrapped in each other's arms.

"Sorry!" Lee had a nasty feeling he was blushing. It was one thing knowing his little brother had a love life, but quite another to actually see it.

Kara turned in Zak's arms, looking at him with irritation. "Really, Apollo, have you never heard of knocking?"

Lee knew he was definitely blushing now; he could feel it. It annoyed him and he struck back. "Have you two never heard of locking the hatch? I thought Dad told you to be discreet."

Zak rolled his eyes. "We are being discreet, that's why we didn't lock the hatch. That would be a dead giveaway."

Lee stared at him. "And this is isn't?" Sometimes he just didn't understand other people's logic.

"No." Zak grinned. "On a list of people likely to go blabbing to Dad about this, I'd put you at the bottom. After all, you'd actually have to speak to him." There was a bite to the final words that made Lee feel uncomfortable.

"I am speaking to him," he said defensively. He was. He was just making sure to avoid controversial topics.

"Good." Zak was smiling again, and seemed to be letting it slide. Lee relaxed. "That will make tonight more bearable."

"Tonight?" said Lee, and then groaned as he remembered. "Oh gods. Dad's dinner party."

"I've just been convincing Kara to come along."

Lee shot Kara a look of surprise. "And you agreed? That must have been some convincing."

She pulled a face at him. "The food will be better there than in the mess. Besides, I'm not going to pass up an opportunity to see that woman for myself."

"President Roslin?" Lee had never thought Kara was the political type.

"No, you moron, Ellen Tigh! I want to see if all the rumours are true. Some of them are pretty hair-raising."

They were. Lee had heard most of them in the hours since the XO's wife had been miraculously found alive in the fleet. If they were all true, it explained a lot of things about Tigh.

"They probably are true," said Zak. "I warn you, Lee, make sure you're sitting as far away from her as possible this evening."

"Why?"

Zak grimaced. "Let's just say…her feet have a tendency to stray under the table."

It took Lee a moment to process what he meant. Kara was far quicker to catch on.

"How far do they stray exactly?" she asked sharply.

"Well…she didn't stop at my leg," said Zak finally. "I had to make a swift exit."

Lee shuddered at the image. "Thanks for the warning."

"No problem," said Zak. His face looked as if he had swallowed something unpleasant. "It still gives me the shivers just thinking about it."

"Well, she'd better keep her feet to herself this evening," said Kara with a dangerous smile. "Or I'll make her regret it."

"I'm more interested to meet President Roslin," said Lee, thinking it might be a good idea to move on with the conversation.

"I'm surprised to hear that," said Zak with a mocking smile. "I thought she was just a schoolteacher who had no right to be in office because no-one voted for her?"

Kara was chuckling. "You should say that to her tonight, Lee. That should liven up the evening."

Lee scowled at his brother. He didn't need Zak throwing his words back in his face. "That doesn't mean I'm not interested to meet her. See what she's like."

"Oh, Zak can tell you what she's like," said Kara, with a teasing glance at his brother. "After all, he's her military advisor. They have a special relationship."

Zak grinned amiably. "Shut up, Kara."

"How did you get to be her advisor anyway?" Lee asked. Not that Zak wasn't a good choice for the job; he was just surprised Roslin hadn't picked someone older and more experienced.

"It was chance, really. She came to visit Dad on Galactica not long after the attacks. Dad arranged a formal reception, and while we were escorting her to CIC, I heard her say to Billy Keikeya how silly it was, but that Dad obviously liked his ceremonies and she'd have to indulge him."

Lee blinked. "But Dad hates all that kind of thing. Unnecessary fuss, he calls it."

Zak nodded. "He was only doing it to make her feel more comfortable in her new role as President. Which is exactly what I pointed out to her. She said it was a very useful insight, and before I knew what was happening I was her military advisor."

"Bet Dad loved that one." Lee could just imagine his reaction.

Zak grinned. "Oh, he makes the odd sarcastic comment every now and then about getting too big for my boots and not listening to civilians. I just try not to remind him about it." He looked at his watch. "I'd better go; I'm on shift in CIC. See you at the dinner party of doom."

"Doom?" Kara pulled a face. "I'm not sure I like the sound of that. You'd better convince me again."

Lee sighed. "I'll turn my back."

----

It seemed an incredibly long time before he heard the hatch close behind Zak. His brother's idea of payback for walking in on them, he supposed. Oh well. It was just good to see both of them happy again.

"So what did you want to see me about?" asked Kara.

Lee put the papers he was carrying down on her desk. "Maintenance reports."

Kara groaned. "More reports to add to the endless pile. Sometimes I wonder if there even is a desk under there any more."

Lee could understand what she meant. There was so much paper stacked on and around the desk that it was barely visible.

"The joys of being the CAG, huh?"

"What joys?" said Kara, with a harsh edge that made Lee look at her curiously. She sighed. "Even the dinner party of doom is preferable to wading through this lot."

"You have to deal with all this yourself?" Lee was mildly horrified. He hadn't realised that Kara's job involved quite so much work. She certainly didn't let it show. His admiration for her rose a level.

Kara nodded gloomily. "In addition to flying CAP and training nuggets. Oh, the glamorous life of a viper pilot."

"Couldn't you get an assistant, or something? To help you sort all this out?"

"Like who exactly?" Kara's voice was scathing. "We're under-staffed as it is, and I'm not going to ask anyone to give up their free time just because I can't manage my job."

"What if they offered?" said Lee cautiously. He hoped she wasn't going to jump down his throat.

She appeared to be considering it, but she contented herself with a glare. "I can do my job, Apollo."

"I know you can," he said quickly, "but you're doing two jobs at once – CAG and flight instructor. Anyone would need help."

She glared at him for a moment longer, and then sighed, shoulders slumping. "It's nice of you to offer, Lee, but what could you do? You're barely more than a nugget still."

Lee considered. "I'm sure even a nugget could organise those piles for you," he said after a moment. He looked at her sideways. "Unless you're going to tell me that this mess is actually a clever filing system and you know exactly where each piece of paper is."

Kara smiled reluctantly. "I'd love to, but no, it isn't. That would help."

"Then I'll get to it," said Lee briskly. "I've got an hour free before my next shift."

Kara frowned. "Are you sure, Lee? You really don't have to."

Lee shrugged. "I'd like to help – and I might learn something. Besides," he grinned, "I'm just doing Zak a favour. Putting you in a better mood."

Kara grinned back. "Oh well, if it's a favour for Zak…"

"Nothing more. I'm certainly not interested in doing you a favour."

Kara laughed. "Very well then," she said. "Thanks."

Lee picked up the first pile of papers, which seemed to be flight evaluations. He spotted a filing cabinet in the corner of the office, and opened it, meaning to file them away. Every drawer proved to be empty. He turned to look at Kara, who shrugged.

"Paperwork's never been my thing."

"I can see that." Lee put on a long-suffering face. "I'll just have to start you a filing system from scratch. Have you even heard of the concept?"

Kara grinned unrepentantly. "It's like you're talking a foreign language."

Lee sighed and got to work. He was glad he'd persuaded her to let him help. She obviously needed it, even if she refused to admit it, and without it she'd end up working herself into the ground.

He was halfway through his stack of papers when she spoke from behind him.

"I suppose you've got insanely neat handwriting?"

"What makes you think that?"

"It just figures."

Lee didn't think he wanted to pursue that comment. He doubted the response would be flattering. "Why do you ask?"

"I was wondering…I have some CAP schedules that need copying out. I've done them but they're a scrawl, and it takes so long to re-write them. I thought you could help. If you like." She finished almost hesitantly.

Lee smiled to himself. "I'll have a look when I've finished these papers."

----

Lee followed Zak's advice and made sure that he sat at the other end of the table from Ellen Tigh. That put him next to President Roslin and opposite his dad, but it was definitely the lesser of two evils. He was amused to see that Kara deliberately took the seat opposite Ellen herself.

Laura Roslin wasn't what Lee had expected, but he wasn't sure why. He supposed he had been expecting someone older and more obviously imposing. Though there was something about Roslin's quiet poise and shrewd eyes that told Lee she was more formidable than she initially appeared.

Ellen Tigh was more formidable than she appeared too, but in a very different way. She quickly took over the conversation, rambling on about her observations in the fleet.

"Sure, there's a lot of whining and complaining, like you would expect. But the people I talked to are mostly hopeful and optimistic."

Optimistic? That was pushing it, Lee thought. Most of the people he'd met were still in shock really. Sure, they were hanging on, doing their jobs, but he had the suspicion that deep down most of them were still hoping this was all a horrible dream from which they were about to wake up.

He bit his tongue though. He'd promised Zak he wouldn't start an argument this evening.

He wondered if Laura Roslin had made a similar resolution. There was a sceptical expression in her eyes, but she just smiled blandly and murmured, "That's good to hear."

Ellen smiled back. "Well, there are a few people who still might wonder if a kindergarten teacher is really the right person to be President, but it's just a tiny, tiny minority."

Lee almost choked on his drink, but again Laura Roslin let it flow over her. "Wonderful, wonderful."

If Ellen was annoyed that her barb didn't seem to have gone home, she didn't show it. Instead she discovered her glass was empty and smiled at Zak. "Zak…could I trouble you for a little bit more of this lovely ambrosia?"

Zak smiled neutrally and refilled her glass.

"Thank you, dear." She smiled at Zak in a way that made Kara's brows snap together. "You've grown into such a handsome man. Bill, you must be so proud of your son…well, your sons, I should say." She switched her gaze to Lee, with a predatory edge that made Lee recoil inwardly. "But then I haven't seen Lee for such a long time, and you never told me what he was doing…I swear I'd nearly forgotten you had another son. Wasn't that silly of me?" She laughed merrily, but Lee wasn't fooled. She'd meant to draw blood.

He looked at his father's suddenly rigid face, and anger flared up. He wasn't going to let her drag all their family difficulties out in public like this.

"It's not really surprising," he said, keeping his voice casual. "I've been travelling a lot the last few years, and I've never been much of a letter writer. Dad had no idea whether I was on Canceron or Virgon half the time."

Zak was quick to follow his lead. "Well, he's got you under his eye now, Lee."

A flicker of a smile crossed Bill's face as he turned to Ellen. "The captain of the Rising Star was a little puzzled as to how you got o­n board his ship."

Ellen waved her glass airily. "Oh, I know, I know. Some thoughtful soul just rescued me from an almost certain death and put me o­n the last flight out of Picon!"

"How lucky for us all," Laura Roslin murmured. Lee caught her eye and had to bite his lip to keep from laughing.

Bill kept on the attack. "The strange thing is that no o­ne can recall giving you any medical assistance until about a week ago."

"Oh, I know! I know. It's a miracle I'm alive!" Ellen smiled brilliantly. Lee had to admit she was good. Not many people could stand up to his father.

"It is indeed," said Tigh, smiling at her.

Lee felt he couldn't stand much more of this. Dinner party of doom, indeed. He turned to Laura Roslin.

"President Roslin, is it true there's to be a meeting of the new Quorum on Colonial Day?"

"It is." She seemed to be equally relieved by the change of topic. "On Cloud Nine."

"What do you plan to discuss?" Lee asked. He was suddenly aware his father was frowning at him across the table. He ignored it.

"A variety of issues. Ration distribution, education, organising medical services…"

"And will you be setting a date for the presidential elections?"

"Lee." His father was now sending him a full force glare. "This isn't the place-"

"It's all right, Commander." Laura Roslin smiled, not fazed in the slightest. "It's a perfectly reasonable question." She looked at Lee, her smile widening. "You don't beat around the bush, do you? I can tell you're an Adama."

Lee ignored both of them, focusing on his point. "As I understand it, according to the articles you're serving out the rest of President Adar's term. So there should be an election in seven months."

Roslin was still smiling, but there was a glint in her eyes. "You're very well-versed in the articles."

Lee shrugged. "I've always been interested in politics. And you haven't answered my question."

"Lee!"

Roslin raised a pacifying hand. "He's right, I haven't. Yes, Ensign Adama, I will be holding elections. But you'll have to wait and find out the exact date along with everyone else on Colonial Day."

Lee opened his mouth to reply, but he was interrupted by Zak. He pushed his chair back abruptly from the table, knocking Lee's arm and nearly sending his drink flying.

Everyone stared at him and he flushed. "Um...I'll just clear these dishes."

"You are so sweet," said Ellen, with a smile that made Zak flush even deeper.

"I'll help you," said Lee, getting up. He was equally eager to get away from Bill's glare.

He followed Zak over to the kitchen area.

"Are you all right?"

Zak was swearing under his breath. "That woman has longer legs than I thought."

Lee glanced back at the table and grinned. "Do you see the way Kara's glaring at her? If looks could kill…"

"What, like the way Dad's looking at you?" Zak muttered angrily. "I asked you not to start any arguments tonight, Lee."

"I was asking a perfectly legitimate question. I might never get another chance to talk to the president."

"You certainly won't if Dad has anything to do with it. Are you deliberately trying to provoke him?"

Lee bit his tongue on a sharp reply and headed back to the table.

"So, Bill," Ellen was saying, "the question o­n everyone's mind – and I do mean everyone – is... where's Earth and when do we get there?"

"That's classified information," said Bill firmly.

Ellen pulled a disgusted face. "Oh, that word again!"

Tigh intervened, casting an awkward look at Bill. "Ellen, leave the man alone."

Ellen ignored him. "Come o­n, if there are no privileges of being an XO's wife, then what's the point? I mean, Bill, we're all family here. Come o­n..."

Lee could have told her those kind of tactics would have absolutely no effect on his father.

"The need for secrecy is paramount, Ellen."

"Perhaps you don't know that the Cylons look like us now," said Roslin, with a gently patronising smile that made Lee want to applaud. "It's recent news. Most people just found out a few days ago."

"Most of us," Lee muttered, and found himself on the receiving end of another Bill Adama glare.

"Any one of us could be a Cylon."

A tense silence fell. Lee shivered inwardly. He'd had days to consider that idea, and it hadn't made it any less terrifying. To think that you could be living alongside a Cylon and not even know…

He almost jumped out of his skin when Ellen shrieked – and he wasn't the only one. Even Tigh looked ruffled.

"Ellen, what is it now?"

Ellen didn't answer for a moment. She was staring at Kara, and for the first time that evening she seemed shaken out of her complacency.

Kara smiled sweetly back.

Ellen took a deep breath, and recovered her poise. She turned to Bill with a warm smile.

"Lovely as this evening has been, we should be going." She turned her smile on Tigh, trailing a hand down his cheek. "Saul and I have a lot of missed evenings to catch up on."

Tigh smiled back, draining his glass. "We sure do."

Lee closed his eyes briefly. He really hadn't needed that image.

The President decided to leave as well, and Bill saw them all to the door. Roslin lingered for a few private words after the Tighs had stumbled out, and Zak and Lee immediately pounced on Kara.

"What the hell did you do to make her shriek like that?" Zak demanded.

Kara grinned smugly. "Showed her that two can play at the footsie game." Her eyes had the gleeful expression they got after taking out several raiders. "Guess those rumours were exaggerated after all. She's not as adventurous as all that."

The sheer outrageousness of it took their breath away. Zak stared at her, his mouth working soundlessly, while Lee burst out laughing. He'd never met anyone like her.

"I don't know what you find so amusing, Lee," snapped Bill, returning to the table. "What the hell did you think you were doing this evening?"

Lee met his eyes defiantly. "What do you mean?"

"You know damn well what I mean. How dare you interrogate the president like that?"

"I wasn't interrogating her. I was asking a simple question – and one that needed to be asked," said Lee tightly. "It would be all too easy for her to take advantage of this situation to ignore the articles."

"She would never do that, Lee." That was Zak, shaking his head firmly. "I know her, and she's not like that at all. She respects the law."

"Anyway, that's not the point," said Bill sharply. "The point is that I will not have you embarrassing me like that in front of my guests-"

"I'll say what I like," snapped Lee.

"Not in my quarters."

"Or what? You'll send me to my room? I'm not a teenager any more, Dad."

"You'll forgive me if I find that hard to remember," said Bill tightly. "Because of course I missed out on all the years in between."

Direct hit. Lee barely kept from flinching, but he fought back. "Well, maybe that's the reason I have a mind of my own, instead of just being an obedient little clone of you. And you just can't deal with that, can you Dad?"

"Lee…" The tension in his brother's voice made him turn. "Dad." Zak looked from one to the other of them, his eyes dark with distress. "Don't do this. Not again. Please."

To Lee's amazement, their father's face wavered, softened. How did Zak do it? How did he manage to reach him so easily?

He pushed the surge of jealousy down, suddenly desperate to get away from all this. "Don't worry, Zak. I was just leaving anyway."

As he opened the hatch, his father's parting shot drifted across the room. "Well after all, leaving's what you're best at."