Author notes:
I'm ba-ack! :D
Sorry it has taken me soooo long to update the story this time – but now that we have phone-line again ('about time!') I should be back to updating more regularly!
Thanks for your reviews and PM's – they really keep me motivated. This chapter is for murphycat, to help her through the week
The Missing Link – Chapter 25
"Your parents are here, good job today everyone!" Laura shouted her customary farewell over the loud chatter that erupted at the end of every school day. "But, please remember that there is a test tomorrow." Her words were followed by a chorus of moans, "Yes I know, nobody likes a test – but I expect you to all be on top form!"
As the children filed out of the tent to meet their respective parents, Laura weaved through them against the flow, en route to her desk. Once there she flopped down heavily in her chair.
"Gods, that was exhausting!" She hung her head over the back of the chair, arms hanging loosely over the wooden sides "Is it just me or were they particularly difficult today?"
At Tory's non response Laura sat up straight and eyed her suspiciously. The younger woman, who was currently busying herself with clearing the student's desks, had been distant all day.
"Is everything alright Tory?"
Tory stopped what she was doing and brought her puzzled gaze to meet Laura's.
"It's just that you seem…" Laura pursed her lips as she searched for the right words "a little distracted."
"I'm fine." Tory spoke through a forced smile and Laura was by no means convinced.
She watched as Tory cleared the rest of the stationary from the children's tables and moved to deposit them in a plastic container at the back of the tent. Laura sat, resting her chin on the palm of her hand, the fingers of her spare hand lightly drumming the desk as she patiently waited for Tory to succumb to her scrutiny.
Eventually she conceded.
"What did Tom Zarek want this morning?" Tory asked with her back to Laura, dropping the last of the items into the container and sealing the lid. "Did I see him leave with Amy Rawlins?" She turned and crossed her arms at her chest – wrapping her long grey cardigan around her midriff as she took a slow stroll back across the tent.
"Yes," Laura nodded, "yes, you did." She placed her palms flat on the desk and pushed herself to her feet. "It appears that the Vice President has taken a bit of a shine to the Rawlins family."
"That seems rather odd." Tory reached the opposite side of the desk.
"It does, doesn't it?"
"Did he say what his intentions were?"
"He said…" Laura faltered slightly as she pre-empted Tory's inevitable reaction. "He said that he wants to help them – to help others in the same situation."
"And you trust him?"
"I'm not sure yet." Laura answered honestly, a tight grimace forming on her lips. "He has asked me to help him."
"He made you a proposition?" Tory raised her eyebrows.
"Of sorts." Laura took her bag from where it hung over the back of the chair and started to fill it with papers from the desk. She kept her eyes down, avoiding Tory's scrutinising glare. "He wants to meet with me tonight."
"And you agreed to this meeting?" Tory asked - her eyes wide. "Alone?"
"That's right." Laura raised her chin defiantly.
"I don't think that's a good idea…" Tory shook her head.
"Tory," Laura rolled her eyes, dropping the files that she was holding on to the table. "Whilst I appreciate your concern for my wellbeing …."
"Not to sound unfeeling Ma'am, but my concern is not for your wellbeing." Tory interrupted the offensive.
"Meaning?" Laura narrowed her eyes.
"You will be in the running to be President again someday…" Tory said - matter of fact.
"Is that right?" Laura forcibly shoved the last of the paperwork into her bag.
"…and forgive me Laura, but my concern is for your reputation. Meeting with Zarek … people will talk and…"
"Oh?" Laura's eyebrows retreated to her hairline "And what exactly will they be saying?"
Tory began to squirm under Laura's stern glare, "Ma'am I…"
"No go ahead Tory, you started this – I want to hear you say it."
"Ma'am your reaction to Admiral Adama after the shooting…that's already started circulating in the rumour mill and…"
"And you're concerned that my spending time with The Vice President will, what? Look like I'm 'sleeping with the enemy'?"
"Something like that."
"Well, as you are no longer my political aide, my reputation is no longer your concern Tory." Laura snapped, "And quite frankly I am appalled that you would consider me to be short sighted."
"Laura I,"
"Leave it," Laura silenced Tory by holding out her hand, before swinging her bag over her shoulder and turning to leave.
"Laura wait," Tory called after her.
"Did it ever occur to you Tory," Laura spun around as she reached the doorway, "that I might not want to be President again? That I might actually want to live my life for me, instead of living it for the people? "
"Um..."
"I thought not."
Laura turned and exited the school tent, leaving Tory in stunned silence.
xXx
"The Admiral was in her tent Felix, I just know it." Baltar paced his office on Colonial One. "They've being plotting against me and now it transpires that my own Doctor may be in on it as well. You know, I always suspected Cottle…ever since he gave me those blasted 'anti-anxiety' pills on Founders Day - my system was blocked up for weeks." The President rubbed his abdomen to stress his past discomfort.
Felix Gaeta's nose wrinkled at the image Baltar's words presented. "You know Mr President, there could be a more obvious reason for the Admiral's presence on New Caprica..."
"Such as?"
"You must have heard the rumours."
Baltar harrumphed and dismissed Gaeta's suggestion with a flick of his wrist "Who hasn't?" He sank into his chair, "But if The Admiral and Laura Roslin were, shall we say, involved – why would they need to hide it now?"
Gaeta frowned and took a seat opposite The President.
"I'll tell you why Felix," Baltar slammed his open palm on the desk before Gaeta had a chance to respond. "So that when they overthrow my leadership – she can step right back into this office and nobody will ever think to question her ability to rule without military bias!"
Gaeta rolled his eyes. "Mr President, I think you're over thinking this. We don't even know for sure that The Admiral even met with Laura Roslin yesterday – this is all conjecture."
"But I'm right!" Baltar snapped and reached for the phone, "And I'll prove it to you – Get me the Admiral!" He bellowed into the receiver. "I'm going to demand that he meets with me," He continued to address his aide "I want this out in the open – no more sneaking around, he has to know that we're on to them!"
'You're on to them,' Gaeta internalised, 'please don't bring me into this.'
"I'm sorry President Baltar, Admiral Adama is not available to speak with you" came the response from Galactica.
"What do you mean he's not available? Interrupt him! I'm The President dammit and I demand to speak with The Admiral!"
"He's not here Mr President. Says here in the log that he left Galactica around 1500 hours."
"Left Galactica?" Baltar's voice raised a whole octave. "To go where?"
"New Caprica Sir, he should have arrived about an hour ago."
"Frak!" Baltar yelled as he slammed the receiver into its holster.
"What is it Mr President?" Gaeta asked, concerned by Baltar's peevish display.
"Let's just say, that that The Admiral's need for discretion seems to have dissipated somewhat."
xXx
Laura powered away from the school tent, worn boots sloshing through the saturated soil of the pathway, fine drizzle spotting her glasses.
She had no reason to leave the school, considering she was due to meet Zarek there in a little under an hour – but she couldn't spend another second being patronised by Tory.
'How dare she?'
Laura was unsure if Tory was insinuating that people would gossip because they'd think it strange for her to be meeting her political rival – or simply because Zarek was a man?
She had a feeling it was the latter.
'Since when did my sex-life become the topic of conversation amongst colonials?'
And then there was the added caveat of 'You will be in the running to be president again someday.' Did Tory expect her to live life like a Vestal Virgin, just on the off chance that she would run for political office?
There was however, some truth to Laura's response; she wasn't actually sure that she wanted to be President again. It had taken the recent shift in her relationship with Bill to make her appreciate what she had been missing.
As President, Laura now realised that she hadn't been living – merely existing for the good of civilisation and now, she was more than ready to be selfish.
'Bill…,' Laura sighed and felt her anger start to ebb, their last night together was already starting to feel like a distant memory.
As pleasant as her recollection of their last encounter was, her reaction to Bill's confession of love had unquestionably affected their time together – Laura just prayed to the Gods that her none reciprocation hadn't done irreparable damage.
The explanation for her lack of response was so simple; almost everybody that Laura Roslin had ever loved had died.
The only relationship she'd had since that tragic car accident claimed the lives of her remaining family members was with President Adar, and that was hardly an affair to remember.
Various motel rooms and the occasional quick frak across his desk did not a meaningful relationship make - but it was all she could allow herself at that time. Any delight she might have felt at falling in love would have been tainted by the fear of painful abandonment.
Apparently, that was still the case. When those three small words fell from Bill's lips, Laura had panicked.
'Bill needs to know that I love him too.'
Laura smiled to herself.
Maybe a public display of emotion would be enough to show Bill just how much he meant to her and that would certainly create a stir amongst the settlers.
"Frak 'em all." She muttered under her breath. 'Let them talk.'
As Laura rounded the final corner to her tent, something she saw stopped her dead in her tracks.
"Is that..?" Standing plain as day outside her tent, hands on hips and looking to the sky was none other than Bill Adama. "Gods…"
Laura's mouth went dry. It appeared that the opportunity to tell Bill how she felt had surfaced more quickly than she had thought.
xXx
Bill looked to the sky, squinting against the fine rain and wondering just what in the hell he was doing back on New Caprica so soon.
It was a bold move - especially after almost being caught 'in the act' by President Baltar. Bill assumed that there would almost certainly be repercussions for his actions.
'But I had no choice.'
He slipped a hand inside his trouser pocket and brushed his fingers across the small plastic audio tape within. Questions swirled around his mind - who was behind the recordings? How long had they been listening?
'Our most intimate moments recorded…' The intrusion sickened him to his core…but Laura…what else could the owner of the device have heard? What other secrets were they now privy to?
Bill's musings were interrupted by a slender arm encircling his waist from behind.
'Laura.'
"Back so soon?" Laura purred in his ear as she snuggled against his back, seemingly oblivious to passers-by.
Bill stiffened at the unexpected contact; his heart still felt bruised. He had thought of little else since they parted ways last night - Laura didn't love him and he felt like a Gods dammed fool.
He stepped out of her embrace and turned to face her at a safe distance.
Laura frowned and took another step towards him, her hand touching his forearm. "I don't care who sees us Bill…" She smiled devilishly, "There's something I've been meaning to tell you..."
"Laura, no." Once again Bill recoiled from her touch and this time the pain in her expression was evident.
"What is it? What's wrong?"
Bill kept his expression stoic and simply gestured with a nod to the entrance of her tent. "After you."
Laura scowled, but conceded - making short work of the fastenings and stepping inside. Bill followed closely behind and once he had crossed the threshold, she spun to face him instantly - almost knocking him off balance.
"What the frak is going on Bill? Is this about last night?" Her green eyes bored into his. "Look, when you said that you…" Bill moved quickly to silence Laura -covering her mouth with his hand.
Startled, Laura took a step backwards - but he followed. Her initial reaction was to struggle against his hand, but when Bill bought a solitary finger to his own lips – realisation hit.
"Shhh."
Her eyes widened and she nodded in understanding 'Somebody was listening.'
Bill slowly removed his hand and Laura stood, rooted to the centre of the room as he conducted a sweep of her living space. 'Oh Gods…He's searching for a listening device.'
His movements were painfully slow - meticulous even, as he searched every crease - every nook and cranny of the tarpaulin structure.
A sick feeling started to coil in Laura's gut. 'How did Bill know there was a device? Who put it there? What have they recorded? How long has it been here? Oh Gods…last night…'
After searching the space by the door, Bill began to run his fingers along the seam where the canvas sides met the floor. He covered the whole tent until he reached the makeshift bed in the corner.
He glanced over his shoulder at Laura, and she swallowed hard, her mouth and throat suddenly felt parched - this was the last stone left unturned.
Bill leant back on his haunches, grabbed the edge of the mattress and flipped it over.
Laura saw Bill's shoulders tense. "No…" She broke the silence – knowing that without a doubt, Bill had found something. Eventually, when Bill didn't move, her curiosity won out and she took a small, tentative step forwards - leaning to peer over his shoulder.
Crudely taped to the bottom of the mattress by a strip of masking tape, was a small black recording microphone.
After a few beats Bill removed the device and stood abruptly, stamping down hard and crushing it under the sole of his boot.
Laura staggered back, surprised by his sudden movement. Her legs felt weak and she slumped to the floor "I can't believe it…" Her eyes remained on the broken pieces of plastic and foam. "Bill…"
He pulled a chair out from under the table and took a seat in front of Laura, bringing his eyes down to meet hers.
"How did you know Bill? How did you know that someone was listening?"
Casually, Bill removed the audio tape from his pocket and offered it to her. "Someone sent me this."
Laura held the small tape between her fingers. "What did it record?" She closed her eyes, already anticipating his answer.
"Last night." Bill spoke through gritted teeth and got to his feet. "Every frakking last word of it."
If it wasn't humiliating enough that Laura hadn't reciprocated his adorations – someone had recorded that very moment for him to revisit and analyse.
The silence on the tape after he had muttered those heartfelt words was deafening.
"Who…" She looked up at him, her eyes starting to well with tears. "I mean, why would they want...?"
"Why do you think?" He snapped. "The same reason Officer Wilson was spying on you – somebody wants you ruined Laura. I should have seen this coming..." Bill tuned away from her sharply, linking his fingers behind his head.
"You're mad at me?" Laura got to her feet.
"No," Bill sighed, his back still to her. "I just," He dropped his arms to his side and turned back to face her "I think we should end this."
"This?" Laura frowned and waved her hand back and forth between them. "Us, this? Why?"
"Think that's fairly obvious."
"Bill they already have the recording – how much worse could it get?"
"It's not just about us. You admitted that you tried to throw the election, that you had no regrets."
"I know what I said Bill, but my point still stands – they already have the recording."
"If that knowledge was all they needed, the recording would be in the hands of Baltar by now."
"How do you know that it isn't? How do you know that Baltar isn't the one that sent you the tape in the first place? He knew that you were on New Caprica, he turned up here shortly after you had left!"
"But he had to ask Cottle for directions."
"That doesn't mean anything – he could have had Officer Wilson plant the device."
"What about Zarek?"
"I don't think so Bill."
"Why the frak not? Did he have the opportunity? Yes. Does he have motive? Yes."
"But he helped me find the anti-viral; he's started to take an interest in the community. Bill he's trying to get me on side – it wouldn't make any sense. Why would he want to blackmail us?"
"Why so defensive?" Bill's jaw was tight, his mouth twitched.
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"Nothing," Bill swiftly shifted the conversation, "Look, Laura what was recorded last night…you confessed to rigging an election."
"I don't care who knows."
"You implicated us both."
"The damage is done Bill."
"They'll put us behind bars."
"I've been there before."
"The brig is a honeymoon cruise compared being incarcerated here – they keep inmates in pits."
"I don't care!" Laura raised her voice, "Bill, how can you just stand there and tell me that you want to end this? After what you said last night…"
"That?" He spat out, "Well, you made it pretty clear that you don't feel the same."
"Bill don't talk like that," Laura softened her tone, now realising the true source of his anger.
"Why the hell not? What is this to you Laura, really? You just caught up in the excitement of sneaking around again?"
"What do you mean 'again'?" Laura narrowed her eyes.
"Adar."
"Gods Bill," Laura shook her head and raised her jaw defensively – his words were so bitter, meant to maim. It was an unexpected element to his personality, but Bill being a military man, she supposed it made sense. He knew exactly how to hit her where it hurt.
"Yeah I know about your affair."
The self-satisfied expression that flashed across Bill's features was enough to push Laura over the edge.
"And you chose this moment to use it against me, you son of a bitch!" Laura's voice remained measured, but that did little to mask the hurt behind her words. "Get out."
Bill seemed un-phased by her request. "The tape?" He held out his hand, staring her down.
Laura, refusing to break eye contact, blindly placed the audio tape in Bill's hand and balled his fist around the object – leaning in close. "Get out."
Bill simply left, without uttering a single word.
xXx
Fifteen minutes later, instead of going to meet Vice President Zarek – Laura headed to the nearest bar.
End Notes:
I think after all that arguing – Laura deserves a stiff drink!
Thanks for reading