Chapter Twenty-Five

'Where is she?' became the familiar question around the Galactica for the next few weeks. 'She' rarely needed to be mentioned by name since everyone at one time or another had found Kaylee Adama perched on their chair, hiding under the desk or climbing onto their furniture. The child seemed to be always on the move, which was attributed to her mother's restless genes but had the capacity for eerie stillness that enabled her to hide for hours anywhere that was purely a trait gained from her father.

It was a toss up for the strangest place Kaylee disappeared to between inside one of Oakely's large pots in the galley or inside Baltar's lab bouncing in his chair and fiddling with the computer.

She seemed to enjoy the lab best for some reason. "No accounting for taste," Kara grumbled as Baltar handed the little girl to her mother with all the delicacy of someone handling a dead rat.

Kaylee protested loudly and kicked against her mother, trying to move back towards the chair and the computer's funny beeping noises.

"Come on you. It's a special day for you, kiddo. Do you know what day it is? Huh? Do you?" Kara asked as she made her way down the hall. She spotted Helo walking towards them and felt that guilty twinge in her stomach that seemed to be growing in intensity as the days went by.

"Heeeeeeeee!" Kaylee explained happily, stretching towards Helo, Baltar and his beeping lab forgotten.

"Hey, Short Stuff. Happy Birthday," Helo said, lifting Kaylee into his arms and giving her a light hug.

"Peeepeee," she said pulling at Helo's tank.

"How's it going?" Kara asked warily.

The smile left Helo's face and he gave a weary sigh. "Pretty much the same I guess. The Old Man is letting her out of the brig for a little while everyday. Roslin is still debating whether to execute her or commend her for helping Lee. I keep telling myself to go down there and visit her but then I remember what she did and I just…can't."

"Look, far be it for me to take a toaster's side but…She loves you. Regardless of anything else and I can't believe I'm gonna say this but maybe you should go see her. I know a little something about needing forgiveness."

"Can you forgive her?" Helo countered. "You almost lost your husband and your child because of her."

"It's not my forgiveness she needs, Karl." Kara pointed out avoiding the question. She was still furious when she thought about Sharon so easily straddling both lines of the fence, being loyal both to her race and the Galactica. Her inability to pick a side had very nearly cost Kara everything.

But what about what you're doing? Her conscience taunted…sounding like Caroline Adama as it usually did.

If Sharon knew Jamie was alive, could that be seen as a justifiable secret to keep when weighed against losing Karl or her own child?

Kara didn't know the answer. She did know though, that keeping this secret was starting to make her feel sick inside.

"Right, well. Maybe," Karl shook his head and ran his hand along the crown of Kaylee's head. "Can we just table this for another day? I could really use some happy about now. Let's just think about this little one here and I'll worry about everything else later."

"Done," Kara agreed, trying to push her guilt, damned annoying thing, to the back of her mind.

"Can you say 'Happy Birthday'?" Helo asked giving Kaylee a small smile, which brightened when Kaylee grinned at him.

"Peepeee," she repeated brightly.

"Not even close," Helo laughed. "You know what? In case that's a hint, let me pass you back to mommy. It's only fair after all. She does have the diapers."

"Oakley's trying to come up with something resembling a cake and we're gonna have a little thing later. Come by okay?" Kara said touching his arm after taking Kaylee back.

They had a small party in their cabin. Okaley stacked a column of pancakes made from some of the ground wheat-like compounds Baltar had managed to duplicate in his lab. Some caramel was drizzled over the top. "Consider that my contribution to the blessed day you and Captain Apollo decided to reproduce" Baltar said dryly.

Kara gave him thanks with the same mocking smile.

Cally made a cone shaped birthday hat for Kaylee which she kept drawing over her face, dissolving into giggles at the hollow sounds she could make. "Ooooohhhhhhhh!" She bellowed, poking Lee in the chin with the pointy top.

"Hello, Beautiful. Hello," Laura said with a smile, grabbing Kaylee's fist.

Kaylee grinned and leaned towards her. "Pizzie!" When Laura gathered her into her arms, Kaylee grabbed a fistful of President Roslin's hair and pulled.

Lee grimaced and moved to remove her grip but Laura shooed him away and poked Kaylee in the side, which made the little girl squeal and fold in on herself, releasing Laura's hair.

"And how is the birthday girl?" Ellen Tigh asked awkwardly patting Kaylee's back.

Kaylee burped and then blew a raspberry at the woman before burying her face in Laura's neck.

Kara choked on her drink when she tried to stifle a burst of laughter. "Whose bright idea was it to invite them?" she grumbled turning towards her husband.

"A little bit mine," Lee replied with an apologetic shrug. "He was there when I told my dad. I couldn't very well not invite the guy if he was standing right there,"

"See? This is why you shouldn't be allowed to talk to people. You're too polite," Kara said shaking her head.

"Polite? Me?" Lee whispered devilishly behind her nuzzling her ear.

Kara shivered and stepped away from him. "Down boy. You'll get your present later,"

When Helo popped his head into the room, Kaylee clapped her hands together and pushed against Laura's arms, motioning towards the floor.

"Come in," Kara said pulling him inside.

"I just wanted to wish Kaylee a quick 'happy birthday',"

"Right. Sure," Kara said, picking up Kaylee when Laura set her on the floor. She immediately plopped her daughter into Helo's arms, knowing that the kid was gonna latch on to her friend now and certainly not let him make a quick get away.

"Lieutenant Agathon," Laura greeted him with an uneasy smile.

"Good to see you, Helo," William said extending his hand.

Helo hesitated, his respect for both of them at odds with the power they held over the life of the woman he loved. In the end, duty and habit won out and he returned Adama's handshake and nodded at Laura. "Madame President. I know this probably isn't the best time and I don't even know if it will make a difference or not but…I just wanted to let you know that I know what Sharon did was wrong. I'm not trying to excuse what she did but…well, I love her. I love my wife very much and that's how I know that she is not an evil person. I wouldn't love her if she was. She said that she had to do what she did. I don't pretend to understand that. But if you could maybe remember that she did try to fix it. She did save Lee's life. Maybe that would hold some weight when you consider her punishment," Helo said, his eyes red.

Kaylee looked past him towards the door as if she knew someone was missing.

"You're right, Lieutenant. This isn't the right time," William said softly.

"But we do appreciate your feelings. We understand where you're coming from, Lieutenant," Laura offered kindly.

Kara cleared her throat, her eyes burning. Lee handed her another glass of juice. "You okay?"

"Later," Kara assured him, grabbing his arm and bringing it around to her waist. "You know I kinda love you right?"

"Kinda," Lee said with an amused smile, resting his chin on her shoulder. Lee turned her face towards him and narrowed his eyes at her. "What did you do?"

"Something you're really not gonna like," Kara replied cringing. Before he could ask her what it was, she turned and kissed him.