Laura groaned and rolled over on her back, trying to make sense of the figure hovering over her. Pushing at the hand on her chin, she squinted up, trying to focus.
"Oh Gods…" Kara eased Laura's headgear off and tossed it to the side. "He's gonna kill me, if she doesn't kill me….Laura, please….Laura?"
"She's fine." The man kneeling next to Kara grinned. "C'mon Laurie, it's just gonna be a bruise." At the statement, Kara groaned again. "Your own fault, you dropped your guard, Kara decked you fair and square."
"The Old Man's still gonna kill me." Kara brushed Laura's hair back. "Come on, Laura open your eyes all the way, please…"
"Water." Laura muttered, finally able to speak.
"Here." Someone tossed a water bottle into the ring.
"Thanks." The man held it to her mouth. "Here you go Laurie, small swallows." Lifting his head, he looked at the few people who'd gathered around the ring. "She's fine, go on now."
"Laura, look at me please." Kara carefully wiped off the few drops that had fallen on Laura's cheek. "Please?"
"I'm fine." Blinking, she finally focused on Kara. "Frakking left hook."
"I'm so sorry…" Kara tilted her head. "C'mon Laura, please open your eyes all the way. Oh Gods…he's gonna kill me…"
"Sit me up." Laura held up an arm. "Stevie…pull."
"Here ya go." He carefully pulled her to an upright position. "Okay?"
"Yeah." Laura shook her head slightly. "More water."
"Here." Kara held the water bottle up to her mouth. "Laura, I'm so sorry…"
"My fault, dropped my guard." She smiled slightly and took the water bottle from Kara. "Bill's not going to kill you. It was my fault, right Stevie?"
"You did drop it, first time I've seen you do it." He frowned at her. "What happened?"
"Distracted." Laura took another swallow from the bottle and looked around. "Saw someone I didn't expect to see. No one either of you knows." She shook her head again. "Probably my imagination, and I dropped my guard."
"I totally realized it too late." Kara sat back on her heels. "Gods, Laura, don't do that to me."
"Told you, my own fault." Laura smiled at her. "You okay?"
"Fine." Holding her hands out to Stevie, Kara stared at Laura while he started to unlace the gloves. "You sure you're okay? I mean, you were out of it for a bit there."
"How long?" Laura propped her wrists on her knees and started gazing around the gym again, searching for the silhouette she'd seen briefly, just long enough to turn, and not realize Kara had swung at her.
"Less than a minute." Kara tilted her head. "Frak, it's gonna bruise. He's gonna kill me."
"Bill is not going to kill you." She handed Kara the water bottle and turned toward Stevie and extended her hands. "And neither am I, it was my own fault."
"Laurie, look at me." Finished taking off her gloves, Stevie held a finger up in front of her. "And, follow it…" Moving his hand side to side then up and down, he nodded. "All good. Any problem with vision?"
"Nope." Laura started unwrapping the tape on her hands. "I'll ice it when I get home, Kara, my skin shows a bruise easily, it's not a big deal. And I'll protect you from him, trust me."
"I do." Kara grimaced. "I'm really sorry, I didn't realize you'd dropped your guard."
"Yeah, what happened to that focus we taught you?" Stevie stood and held out a hand, using it to pull Laura to her feet as Kara scrambled up next to her, grabbing the older woman when she swayed slightly. "No distractions."
"I know." She sighed. "I just got caught off guard." Turning to Kara, she reached up to run her hand through the short blonde hair. "Kara, it's okay. I'm fine, it happens. Ask Stevie here, it's happened before."
"Yeah, you should have seen the shiner she got one time." He grinned down at them. "Her mom just about killed her dad."
"Right after she just about killed me." Laura sighed and moved toward the edge of the ring. "C'mon, our time's just about up anyway."
"Here ya go." Stevie slid through the ropes easily and held out his hand, lifting Laura down after she'd stepped through the ropes, Kara jumping down next to her. "Okay?"
"I'm fine." Laura smiled up at him. "See?"
"Yeah." He released her and grinned at Kara. "See her home, will ya?"
"Of course. I'll call for a car." She started to move away as Laura grabbed her arm.
"Kara, it's fine. Let's walk home." When Kara started to protest, she shook her head. "Really. I'm going to wash my face and we'll head home. I'd rather walk."
"But…" Kara grimaced. "Fine. Do you want me to come…"
"Kara, go put our equipment up, I'll meet you at the front." One eyebrow raised. "Go."
"Yes, ma'am." Biting her lip, Kara bent to pick up the sets of gloves before watching Laura cross the floor toward the shower rooms.
Laura winced slightly as she reached up and touched the area next to her eye. It would bruise, and Kara would feel guilty, and Bill overprotective, with her mother a close second. Sighing, she pushed the door to the shower rooms open and entered, moving toward one of the sinks. Bending, she turned on the cold water and carefully splashed it onto her face, leaving her eyes closed as the water ran down it. She was reaching for one of the towels she'd seen stacked next to the sinks when one was placed in her hand. "Thanks." Patting her face dry, she straightened and turned to face the woman standing there. Blinking, she stared at her for a moment before speaking. "I thought it was you."
"And I you." Leaning against the wall, she smiled at Laura. "You look well. That is except for your eye."
"Likewise." Laura finished drying her face and gazed levelly at her. "You really do look fantastic, Suzanne."
"Just wondering," one eyebrow lifted. "Did you have anything to do with the pictures on the desk?"
Laura blinked. That was not a question she'd been expecting from Suzanne Adar. "The pictures?"
"Of Richard. Getting his just desserts, I'd think." She nodded toward a bench. "Let's sit."
Following the taller woman, Laura sighed as they sank down on opposite benches, facing each other. "I suppose technically I didn't have anything to do with the pictures…"
"However?" Suzanne's smile grew.
"My stepdaughter and stepson might have placed an order for an ant colony recently." Laura admitted, her hands absently twisting the towel she held. "Possibly."
"I'm not mad, Laura." Suzanne laughed softly. "It was frakking brilliant, whoever did it. He deserved it. For what he did to me, to you…to all the others…" When Laura blinked at her in surprise, she leaned forward and rescued the towel from Laura's grip. "Please. I knew about you two, I was just surprised you let it go on as long, until I realized you were more afraid of his reprisals on the education system than what he'd do to you."
"I…Gods, Suzanne, I'm so sorry…" Laura shook her head.
"Don't be. You know very well he married me for my family's connections." She sighed. "Well, I did love him at one point, but…you did know about the others, right?"
"Some of them." She shrugged one shoulder before raising her head to meet the other woman's gaze. "I heard you…"
"Ah yes, me." Suzanne tossed the towel toward one of the bins. "I'd already started proceedings to divorce him, quietly. I'd indeed found someone. And he found out and tried to stop it. Actually tried to use you to stop it, or at least blame it on you."
Laura tilted her head, gazing at her as she thought. "I'm sorry?"
Suzanne laughed again, "think about what happened right before the attacks…" When Laura's eyes widened, she nodded. "Believe it or not, Richard's antipathy toward the Teacher's Union wasn't totally directed at unions."
"You and…" Laura searched her memory for a name. "Stans…"
"Naylin." Suzanne nodded slowly. "You remember him?"
"Yes. We came to an agreement on the strike, Richard was furious…" She looked back at Suzanne.
"He would have been." Suzanne shrugged. "Naylin and I had met at some function, we'd met several times for coffee and things just sort of happened."
"I remember him being very earnest, very level." Laura smiled. "You're with him now?"
"Indeed." She nodded. "I've been meaning to find you since I'd heard you were back, but hadn't gotten around to it, or been able to track you down. I didn't think the school was the best place for it…"
"Thank you for that." Laura sighed. "Suzanne, I didn't mean for it to…it just sort of…"
"Laura," Suzanne leaned forward and touched her hand. "You're not the type that would have gone looking for the situation you found yourself in. Maybe someday we'll sit and talk it all out, somewhere a bit more…private. But, I know there was more to it, and I know what Richard was like, both when we met, and as he gained the power he thought he deserved. If I could have I would have let you know then…but, quite frankly, with you and the…well, let's just say with him distracted, Naylin and I were able to get to know each other better. I'm glad you've found someone, from what I've heard, someone you met after?"
"Yes, from the Galactica." She looked toward the door as it swung open and Kara walked in.
"Hey, you all right?" Kara crossed the room and perched on the bench next to Laura. "You didn't…"
"Kara, I'm fine." Laura batted her hand away and sighed. "Um, Kara, this is Suzanne…Suzanne, this is my stepdaughter, Kara."
"Ah, Kara of the ant acquiring?" Suzanne smiled and extended a hand. "You've no idea how lovely it is to meet you."
"Uh, likewise, I guess?" Kara frowned. "You look familiar."
"She was Richard's wife." Laura stated softly.
"Oh." Kara paled as realization set in. "Oh!"
"Ex." Suzanne corrected with an arched eyebrow. "Laura, I'll call you so we can set up a time to talk?"
"Soon, please." Laura stood and waited for the other two to stand as well. "Suzanne…I'm glad to see you."
"Richard never did like the two of us together, did he." Suzanne smiled. "Never knew about…"
"Nope." Laura shook her head. "Between us. So, you'll call me? Promise?"
"I will." Impulsively, she stepped forward and hugged Laura. "I've missed you. Even before, when we couldn't…"
"Me too." Laura nodded and smiled as Suzanne released her.
"Nice meeting you." Suzanne smiled at Kara. "I look forward to getting to know you better as well."
"Um, sure?" Kara blinked. "I guess?"
"Ah youth." Suzanne winked at them and turned, crossing the room.
As the door swung shut behind her, Kara turned to stare at Laura. "What just happened?"
"Richard never knew that Suzanne and I had known each other in college." She nodded toward the door. "Let's go, I'll tell you more."
"You think?" Kara sighed and stood. "So, was she the reason I got lucky and connected and the Old Man's gonna kill me?"
"She's the reason, and he's not going to kill you." Laura wrapped an arm around Kara's waist and squeezed, "I won't let him."
"If he doesn't, your mom will." Kara muttered.
"We'll all live." With a giggle, Laura led her out of the locker room. "Come on. We've both got a big morning still to come."
"Yeah." Kara sighed as they crossed the lobby, exiting out into the sunlight. "Walk or run?"
"Jog." Laura announced, starting to run up the path. "So, you didn't forget about what else I told you this morning, did you?"
"No." She sighed. "You're sure they're sincere?"
"As much as I can tell." Laura shrugged. "But, based on the past, who can be sure."
"Exactly." Kara shook her head as they ran in silence for a few minutes. "But, they're here. So that stands for something. And they haven't seen any of the others? I mean, they both…before…"
"Kara." Stopping, Laura reached out and caught her arm, pulling her to a stop as they faced each other. "It means there is a chance for Sam. Remember, the time here fluctuates. Sam could still arrive."
"I know." She scuffed her foot on the path. "It just…I mean…"
"I know Kara." Laura touched Kara's cheek and smiled sadly. "It's horrible, isn't it."
"Yeah." She sniffed. "Frak. I don't want to do this."
"Hey…" Hearing another runner approaching, Laura tugged at Kara's arm, leading her off the path. "Hey, Kara, it's going to be okay. It will."
"I guess so." She shook her head and wiped her face with the back of a hand. "I just…frak. What we did to each other before, and what happened, and when we realized what we were…or weren't, I don't even know anymore, or how to figure out what happened…and the Admiral sent him…"
"Sam wouldn't have wanted it any other way. You know him. In your heart Kara." Laura brushed Kara's hair back and smiled sadly up at her. "It will work out. You just can't stop having faith, or believing in it."
"I know." Kara sniffed again and glanced around. "I know, I'm just tired, I just miss him…the Admiral's gonna kill me for hitting you, I don't know what to do about them…"
"Hey. One thing at a time." Laura caught her hand. "Let's get home, we'll shower then have some breakfast before we head out to the house. You can either get some rest there or talk to them, then help me figure out where to put the furniture. Okay?"
Kara nodded. "I am kind of hungry."
"Of course you are." Laura linked her arm with Kara's. "So let's head back, okay?"
"Yeah." They returned to the path and started jogging slowly in silence for a few minutes until she glanced at Laura. "So, how do you know Suzanne again?"
"Ah." Smiling slightly, Laura glanced at her. "You do have to realize not many people put it together, and those that did, well, we kept each others secrets pretty well. And it was a long time before Suzanne met Richard, and I started working with him, mainly because she asked me to, convinced me I could impact the education of first Caprica, then the colonies as a whole. He never realized, and we just never really brought it up again."
"Why?" Kara turned down the path toward the townhouse.
"We just…did." Laura slowed to a walk. "It's sort of hard to explain…and it wasn't really anything we hid, just not something we talked about in front of Richard. Call it…preventive, protective of each other."
"Sounds mysterious." She raised an eyebrow. "A secretive past…oh wait, I've already…" her voice trailed off as she froze and stared at Laura. "Part of that past? The one you made your sisters swear not to tell your parents about?"
"Maybe." Laura paused at the door. "As long as Bill heads out to the house, and we have breakfast alone, I'll tell you. Otherwise you'll have to wait."
"Sadist." Kara muttered, following Laura inside.
"Bill? Zak?" Laura waved Kara toward her rooms.
"Back here, Zak already headed…" Bill's voice trailed off as he caught sight of Laura. "Frak…Kara! Get your ass in here right now!"
"Bill!" Laura grabbed his arm as he started to move past her toward Kara's room. "Kara it's all right, go on take your shower."
"Told you he'd want to kill me!" Kara called back through the closed door.
"You were…" Bill cut off as Laura placed her hand across his mouth.
"It was my fault, I dropped my guard." She raised an eyebrow at him and pulled him away from Kara's room and toward their room. "It was not Kara's fault at all. She's terrified of what you and my mother are going to do to her."
"She should be." Leading her to the bathroom, he tilted her head so he could inspect the bruise. "Frak…Laura…"
"I bruise easily," her lips twitched. "You of all people know that."
"Well, yeah… but…" he sighed. "Laura…did someone look at it?"
"Stevie was there, I had my headgear on, I just dropped my guard for a moment, got distracted." She shrugged. "That's all. It happens Bill. Same thing has happened to you."
"Yeah, but…" he repeated. "What distracted you?"
"Saw an old friend." Laura raised an eyebrow at him. "Female friend, Suzanne Adar."
"Suzanne Adar?" He blinked at her. "As in…"
"Richard's ex wife." Reaching up, she pulled the band holding her hair in a ponytail off and shook her hair out, tossing the band onto the counter before reaching past him to turn the shower on.
"Richard's ex wife." He echoed, staring at her as she pulled her clothes off and handed them to him.
"Mmm hmm." Stepping into the water, she barely held back a hiss of pain as she forgot about the bruise and the water hit it. "Toss those in the hamper please."
"Laura." Bill grimaced and obediently put her clothes in the hamper then leaned against the counter, crossing his arms. "Is there something you'd like to tell me?"
"Lots of things." Pulling the shower curtain to the side, she smiled out at him, "however, I'd like to space them out somewhat. Keep you guessing."
"That will not be a problem." As she started to step back and close the curtain, his hand shot out and caught hers. "However, I'd like an abbreviated version please?"
"Suzanne and I knew each other long before either of us met Richard." Leaning out she kissed him. "Richard never knew. We didn't see fit to mention it to him. I'll tell you all about it tonight, I promise. We've more to deal with today however."
"Right." Releasing her hand, he sighed.
"Oh." Pausing, she looked back out at him. "You'll never guess where Richard tried to shower off the ant bites…"
"The gym?" Bill raised an eyebrow.
"Mmm hmm." Laura's smile widened. "And someone had a camera."
"Really?" He chuckled briefly before sobering again. "Laura, that really…"
"It will be all right." She disappeared behind the shower curtain again. "Are you heading on out there now?"
"Is that a hint?" Bill sighed again.
"Yes. Kara and I need to talk, she's not going to decide how she feels about Natalie and Boomer until she meets them." Laura bent her head back, lathering her hair. While she'd much prefer having Bill in the shower with her, washing her hair and her…she knew very well that she needed to talk to Kara, and if he'd joined her…she sighed softly, rinsing her hair. Maybe tonight, after they'd rearranged furniture…and gone riding….
"Laura?" Concerned that she hadn't responded to his last question, Bill pulled the shower curtain open.
"Hmm?" She blinked at him.
"I said…" his eyes ran along her body and he sighed. "Uh…"
"Bill?" She used a finger to lift his chin so she could meet his eyes. "You said?"
"Oh. Yes." He swallowed. "Uh, yeah, I'll head out then…see you in about an hour?"
"Yes." Leaning forward, she kissed him, her hand absently groping behind her to turn the water off.
"Okay." Grabbing her towel, he wrapped it around her, steadying her as she stepped out of the shower and draped her arms around his neck. "You okay?"
"Yeah." Rising up on her toes, she kissed him. "Love you. Remember that."
"You too." He chuckled. "See you in a bit. Tell Kara I'm not going to kill her."
"I will." Laura giggled and reached for another towel for her hair. "She's probably still hiding in her room until I tell her its all clear."
"I will however, make no promises about what your mother will do to her." Bill released her as her giggles became a full fledged laugh.
"I'll protect her." She shoved him. "Now, get out of here."
"Yes, ma'am." With a final grin, he left the bathroom.
A few minutes later, Laura emerged from the bedroom and headed toward the kitchen. Pulling cereal and milk out, she set them on the counter before retrieving bowls and glasses. "Kara, breakfast." She heard the door slowly open and smiled as she poured coffee from the pot Bill had left on the coffeemaker. "It's safe, he's gone."
"Are you sure?" Kara peered out from her room before emerging. "I mean…"
"I know what you mean. Come on." Laura picked up her bowl and headed toward the balcony. "Meet you out here." She was settled and had taken a sip of coffee by the time Kara joined her. "Better?"
"Yeah." Her eyes widened. "Frak, Laura…"
"Once my hair dries, it will cover most of the bruise, and I'll cover the rest with make up so you and Bill will stop panicking every time you see it." Laura set her coffee down and picked up her bowl. "So, where do you want me to start?" At Kara's disgusted look, she sighed. "Fine." Absently, she took a bite of cereal, chewing thoughtfully. "We met when I was in graduate school, at Caprica Heights. She was one of the other grad students working there, we'd cover each others shifts during finals and thesis evaluations."
"So you were both…" Kara grinned. "No wonder neither of you mentioned it."
"Of course." Laura smiled wistfully. "We did have fun. After we graduated, we still kept in touch here and there. After Daddy, Cheryl, and Sandra…she was one of the ones that encouraged me to get out and about again. She knew how much teaching had meant to me, and how much it hurt to walk into a classroom after they died, it was just like part of me wasn't there. She'd been volunteering for Richard, then dating him. She knew he needed someone to advise him on educational systems and programs, and she knew I needed a challenge, somewhere I wouldn't be looking for my family."
"I'm sorry…" Kara reached out and caught Laura's hand, squeezing it.
"Thanks." She sniffed. "Well, she wanted me to get to the job because he needed me, not because she'd recommended me, so when we'd meet, we'd act like we were recent acquaintances, then years later, after Richard and I…I just couldn't…" Laura sighed. "But, that's how Suzanne and I met. If Richard hadn't been in the picture, I think we would have been close friends, but we were both just accustomed to keeping secrets, and keeping each others secrets…it was a Caprica Heights thing. I was never in a sorority, or much of a joiner, so to have that sort of friendship was nice. I appreciated it, valued it. We knew if we needed each other, we could call on each other. No matter how much time had passed."
Kara nodded slowly. "Kind of like flight buddies."
Laura's lips twitched. "I suppose so?"
"You have to depend on them, so there's this level of trust that builds up. You can fight like frakkin' cats and dogs, take each others cubits in any number of ways, insult each other, but when you need each other?" She gestured with her spoon, "when you need each other, you're there for each other."
"Yeah, something like that." Taking a sip of coffee, Laura wrapped her hands around the mug as she drew her leg up, wrapping her arm around it. "Except, we fought off wandering hands, professors who believed we were only taking their classes, drunken patrons who mistook us for another type of waitress…" she giggled. "So, pretty much, both were death defying positions."
"I guess so." Kara laughed.
"Hmm." Resting her chin on her knee, Laura gazed at the younger woman as Kara finished her cereal.
"What?" Kara glanced up and met Laura's eyes.
"Do you remember…the first time you hugged me?" A smile touched Laura's face as she remembered.
"Umm…" Kara blinked and set her spoon down. "I think so?"
Laura tilted her head and watched Kara. "We were almost out of fuel…"
"Oh Gods, the plan." Kara's face lit up. "When the Admiral didn't tell you about the other part of the plan."
"Yes." She took another swallow of coffee and set her cup down, both arms wrapping around her leg. "You'd come up with this insane plan, you were miserable since you couldn't fly, and Lee pulled off the most insane flying maneuver I'd seen or heard of until meeting you. I'd just been told that I was having visions that matched a prophet I'd not even heard of. I was still getting accustomed to being in the middle of all the chaos that was a Battleship, at first we didn't think we'd get the fuel, then Bill turned it over to you…and you pulled off the plan. Everyone was celebrating, and you turned and hugged me."
"Yeah." Kara winced. "I didn't realize what I was doing until I did it, and then I realized I'd just hugged the frakking President of the Twelve Colonies, who, well…you know you really didn't put out an approachable vibe or anything, and you turned and stared at me. I thought you were going to have me shot or something…airlocked maybe."
"You caught me off guard." Laura reached out and waited for Kara to take her hand. "No one really touched me, y'know? Not even Bill, back then. Later, he'd touch my back as we were walking through corridors, but no one had touched me in a long time, doctors notwithstanding."
Kara winced. "Yeah. They really don't count."
"But you were celebrating, and you turned and hugged me." Laura smiled fondly. "And then realized what you'd done."
"Like I said, I thought you might have me shot or something." Kara shrugged her free shoulder.
"And I realized, I'd missed it. Missed being treated like a human being, like someone normal…you hadn't thought, you'd just done." Laura squeezed her hand. "So, I did the same thing. And hugged you back."
"Yeah." Kara snorted. "Much better than the whole shooting me thing a few years later."
"Well, chamalla was involved both times." Laura giggled. "But still. No one was treating me like, well, me. No one had for a very long time. Until then. I just wanted you to know, I remembered the hug. And thought about it from time to time…it helped. No matter what we went through later."
"Yeah." With a sigh, Kara dropped her head back. "And then just a bit later…Frak."
"Then just a bit later…you were helping me…we were both…" Laura sobered and shook her head.
"Which brings us back to Boomer." Kara groaned. "Really?"
"Really." Laura squeezed her hand and released it. "So, ready to go face them?"
"Yeah." As they both stood, Kara stepped in front of Laura. "Hey, just in case…" She wrapped her arms around Laura, who slowly lifted hers to embrace Kara, who had her eyes closed as she leaned against Laura. "I don't know if I can do it."
"Yes. You can." Laura murmured, turning her head slightly to press a light kiss against Kara's temple. "You can. We can. This is us, together. Neither of us ever has to feel alone again, remember?"
"I know." Eyes closed, Kara remained where she was, wrapped in Laura's arms. "I know."