'The Stars In Your Hand ...'

Chapter Twenty-One - The Meeting

'Every time you think of home remember that you're not alone, and we'll be with you heart and soul ... wherever you are.'

"I'm going down there."

"No, you are not." The words were evenly measured, spaced far apart for effect.

The determined set of Lee's jaw told Laura Roslin it was going to be a nasty fight. Neither Adama was willing to back down. She decided it was smarter to keep her mouth shut.

"I'm going and you can't stop me."

"I'm your superior officer and your father. On both counts I outrank you."

"Oh no you don't!" Lee was outraged. His eyes were like lasers and his cheeks burned with anger. "One, if you're my superior officer that means you're more valuable than I am so you should be the one to stay back. And two, I'm thirty years old - I don't need you treating me like I'm a little kid. I can make my own decisions."

Roslin watched as they stared each other down, hostility crackling in the air like a live wire. Maybe it was time to step in ... before things that couldn't be taken back were said.

She took a step forward and put a tentative hand on Lee's arm. "It's only because he worries about you," she said softly.

His eyes turned her way, hard as sapphires still, then they softened. "I know." He turned back to face his father. "I know," he repeated. "But you know why I have to go down there."

"I understand. Trust me Lee, I understand. But if there are any hostile forces ... well, I wouldn't want anything to happen to you."

"Are you taking a marine detachment down then?"

"I was thinking one or two perhaps. Just for a little added protection."

"Let it be me and Sam then. He's almost done training and I'm easily as good with a gun as any of them."

"He's got a point," Roslin said, giving Adama 'the look'.

He gave her one right back - obviously an all-too familiar one as she rolled her eyes.

"Let him come Bill. With two strong, fit young men like your son and Mr. Anders I'm sure we'll be well protected."

"We'll? You're going to let her go down with you and not me?" Lee's anger, stoked by her words, blazed again.

Adama sighed resignedly. This wasn't going at all well. And the plan had to be finalized now.

"Fine. You and Mr. Anders will escort us on our first foray onto the planet. Meet us in the hangar bay in half an hour."

Lee nodded brusquely. "I'll get Sam."

ooooooooooooooooooo

She stood, fidgeting more than usual, beside him, watching as the massive ship orbited the planet. She was impatient for them to land but she knew protocol demanded they do at least five full rotations in order to scan the planet to see what danger might be lurking below. For all she knew there could be many. She'd only spent a couple of days here and yet had only seen perhaps half a mile of land and not a single person besides the gods. The gods. You've looked on the faces of the gods Kara. Scriptures say no one can look on the faces of the gods without perishing. Well she'd seen the gods ... except for one, and soon she would perish because of it. The thought hung heavy on her heart. She was glad that Lee and Clea would live but endlessly sorrowful that she wouldn't be there with them.

"Do not be sad child. The future is not written in stone." His warm voice enveloped her in a hug and heated her chilled body. What if something had happened to Lee? Or Clea? What if Cottle hadn't fixed what was wrong with her and she'd fallen sick?

"Don't borrow trouble. You've only been away from them a few days. I'm sure everything is fine."

"This mind reading thing is a little disconcerting," she said impatiently. "Besides, if you see-all, know-all and can read everyone's thoughts, you already know if everything's alright don't you?"

He nodded in acquiescence. "Like I said I try to stay out of my children's minds. I see the tapestry of life unfold in it's riot of colour and pattern, ever-changing as you make choices that take it down unexpected pathways. It is refreshing for me to watch you grow and evolve. So I try to leave you be and not interfere as much as I can."

Kara nodded meditatively. "Do things sometimes surprise you?"

"Very often child. But when you've lived as long as I have and seen as much as I've seen, it's a wonderful thing to be surprised."

"Even if the surprise isn't good?"

"Even if the surprise isn't good," he affirmed. "It only makes my life more interesting to see how you face the challenges you create for yourselves."

"You must have gotten years worth of entertainment from my life alone then," she muttered, wishing as always, that she could forget about the past and not constantly be reminded of her mistakes.

"The past isn't something to be shameful about my child. It is only there to show us how not to make the same mistakes. I could erase the past of each and every one of you but then no one would learn and they would just keep repeating their mistakes over and over."

"Guess I needed a bigger 2x4 than most then," Kara said ruefully, a smile pulling her mouth wide. "I never seemed to get it."

"Ah but you did eventually. Eventually you made the right choice and so you and the rest of your people are here now."

Kara worked to keep the shiver she felt inside. All of humanity had depended on her for survival - she, the biggest frak-up the universe had ever known. It would have been laughable had it not scared the living daylights out of her.

ooooooooooooooooooo

"Come in."

Lee stepped through the door quietly. It was odd, knocking at his own hatch, but since he began sharing his quarters he'd had to learn privacy was paramount.

Kristy was there, taking care of Clea; Lucas was sleeping. It was fortunate that the two children had seemingly arranged their schedules such that Kristy never had one without the other sleeping or just being peaceful and happy. Lee was glad - after volunteering herself to do something no one could really ask another to do, she deserved having it easy.

He'd just opened his mouth to ask if she knew where Sam was when the door to the washroom area opened and he stepped out.

"Sam."

"Hey Lee." The two men exchanged a glance. Something that had never been there between them before was not there. Or perhaps it was the lack of something. The underlying animosity and hostility that had always been lurking just below the civilized exterior was gone. In it's place was the shared experience they'd had with Clea.

"How's she doing?"

Sam and Kristy both nodded. "Very well," she answered.

Sam walked over beside her and stroked the infant's pink cheek, arm brushing against Kristy's as he did so. Lee's eyes darted between them. No looks or touches, no sign of anything more, yet he felt the electricity spark jumping from one to the other. He recognized it - goodness knew he'd felt it often enough himself.

Well that was good. Maybe Sam would get over losing Kara more easily if he found someone else to care for. He wished Dee would find someone as well. He hadn't acknowledged it but he'd seen her sad, quiet looks whenever he'd been around her. He didn't like it but there wasn't much he could do. That was her way - to be a quiet, creeping ghost, walking around sadly and making him feel guilty. He found it hard to believe that he'd once found that quiet passive-agressive behaviour preferable to Kara's passionate outbursts of emotion.

"I need you. We've got a job to do."

Their eyes met again and Sam nodded, all business.

"Give me two minutes and I'll be ready."

This time it was Lee's turn to nod as he stepped aside to let Sam pass. He walked the three steps it took to get to Kristy and gently took Clea out of her arms, nuzzling her into his neck.

"Is everything okay?" she asked tentatively.

Brown met blue and Lee gave her a little smile. "Everything is fine. We've found Earth and we just want to take a few precautions to make sure we're safe."

"I hope you find her soon."

"So do I." He snuggled Clea closer and began whispering sweet baby nothings about how beautiful and sweet she was. She bore it all happily and cooed back at him.

As the bathroom door opened and Sam's gaze met Kristy's, Lee could feel the words pass between them.

I want that too.

I'm here Sam. You and I can make a life together. Be careful and come back to me.

One more quick kiss and Lee placed Clea back in Kristy's arms. He turned to face the other man, clad in black from head to toe, weapon holstered by his side.

"Let's go."

ooooooooooooooooooooo

They stood somewhat away from the Wise One as the ship landed, soft as could be in the field.

"How do you suppose our counterparts would react if they were to see us?" the Roslin-god asked the man beside her.

"Mine wouldn't say a word," the Adama-god replied. "But a million questions would be running through his head."

"And mine?" she asked, linking arms with him and smiling.

"Yours would be afraid, outraged and flattered. Probably in that order."

She laughed, joy lighting her face like a beacon. "You're probably right."

"I'm always right," he said with a straight face, not missing a beat.

She squeezed his arm and stood closer, watching as four figures strode slowly off the big vessel. "I wonder if we'll find out," she said quietly, recognizing the flowing auburn hair of her human counterpart blowing in the light breeze.

The Wise One stood straighter, holding his arms straight out for a moment, signaling them to move out of sight. The five of them backed off into the trees, becoming all but invisible. He joined them a moment later, leaving Kara alone to face them.

The Lee and Kara gods stood off to the side alone, fingers squeezing together in anticipation of the reunion between their counterparts. If what they felt for each other was anywhere near as close as what the gods felt ... well it would be a happy reunion indeed.

The fifth stood apart, as always, the one leftover as the others paired off. Most of the time it suited him - he was a bit of a loner by nature, never letting even those close to him get too close. HIs human counterpart had inherited that particular trait.

Kara stepped forwards when she recognized them, her eyes lighting up like a blazing fire of green.

"Lee!" she yelled out, already running towards him, blonde hair flying in the wind.

"Kara!" Lee dropped his gun to the ground and took off at a dead run.

"Lee!" Adama yelled after his son but it was no good. Lee only had eyes and ears for Kara.

They met halfway and embraced like they hadn't seen each other in years.

"I missed you," she whispered in his ear.

"I missed you too," he answered quietly. "I missed you too."

She captured his lips and kissed him like there was no tomorrow. As indeed for her there might not be. It was how she'd wanted to respond after the Dance but couldn't. Now he was hers and she was his and everyone knew it. This was no longer forbidden.

When it seemed like the universe had lived to it's end and time had stopped, they pulled apart and just stared at one another, no words needing to be said to speak the words in their hearts.

TBC

A/N: I just wanted to say thank you to all of you who've read this story and stuck with it from the beginning. I especially want to thank those who don't leave reviews or comments - I answer those who do in person most of the time, but the rest of you I can't thank any other way. This story has gone longer than I had intended it but it's nearly at an end now. I really appreciate all of you who've stuck with it since January - thank you so much!