A/N: Merry Belated Christmas! And thanks to all who have stuck with me.

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The funeral for Artemis Thrace Adama took place the next morning, at 0945. Only four were in attendance- her parents, Helo and Sharon.

"I'll leave if you want," Sharon had said as Kara approached the Raptor. "But I wanted you to know I was here for you." Kara had shaken her head and made a fumbling attempt at an apology, but Sharon had cut her off with a gentle touch to the arm. "Don't. I understand." That was all that needed to be said.

Lee had arrived shortly thereafter, carrying the small, non-descript metal container.

The ride into space was quiet. Kara and Lee sat in the back, together but miles apart. The helmets obscured their faces for the most part, and neither made any attempt to work around it.

"This look good?" Helo asked from the pilot seat. Kara wasn't sure exactly where they were, but stood anyway. After all, the ashes wouldn't stay in one place. They would separate, drift far away from each other, until they were simply solitary specks floating in the black.

The door opened. Lee fumbled a bit with the canister; it was hard to open with the gloves. Kara made to help, but he pulled away, giving it one last hard twist.

The ashes sprinkled out in a wave of dust. Light from a nearby ship illuminated them for the briefest of moments. And then they were gone.

She was gone.

Only her grip on the doorframe kept Kara from leaping out to join her.

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Lee had hoped that he'd feel better after the ashes had been scattered. He felt as if he'd been living in limbo for the past two days. The funeral would bring about closure.

It had, but not in the way he had thought. With closure came the unwanted sense of permanence. Before he had been living for this moment. But now she was gone, "buried," and there was nothing left to do but grieve.

And live.

On the way back Kara had turned off her comm. link. Her head had been bowed for the duration of the return, and although Lee couldn't see her lips, he knew she was praying.

Until this point their relationship had been defined by their daughter. Lee wasn't sure where they stood now. All he knew was Kara was a notorious runner, and that he wasn't sure he had the strength to give chase this time.

Sharon landed the Raptor near the rear, and the Chief directed it to an inconspicuous corner. None of the deckhands came near, and Lee wondered briefly what they had been told. He popped his helmet. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Kara do the same.

The door opened and Kara bounded out, then stopped. Lee hadn't seen her like this in a long while. Her body was taut, as if she were anticipating an attack. Her chin was set, and her eyes smoldered with unchecked rage.

She scared him.

"Kara?"

"She's gone Lee. They took her and she's gone."

"What are you talking about?"

"'The guilty will stand judgment and be punished.' It's Scripture. Someone must be punished for this."

Images of Kara hurting herself came unbidden into his mind. He grabbed her by the shoulders and twisted her around. "This wasn't your fault."

She shoved him up against the side of the Raptor, fingers digging deep into his flightsuit. "Don't you ever frakking say that to me again," she breathed. "This is what I have to do. Don't get in my way." And then she was gone.

"You ok?" Helo asked from the ramp.

"You see that?"

Helo shook his head. "Starbuck doesn't deal well with this kind of stuff. Let her go a few rounds with a punching bag." He regarded Lee with a cock of his head. "When was the last time you ate?"

"Don't remember." Lee rubbed his hand over his face. "I need to get some work done."

"Come to the Mess with us."

"Not hungry."

"Some coffee then." Helo cut off Lee's protest. "You need to take care of yourself. You won't do anyone good if you collapse on duty."

Lee simply nodded and allowed himself to be led to the Mess.

"So how have you been doing?" Helo asked after a few moments.

"I think it's just now hitting me that this is real."

Sharon looked back over her shoulder. "Are you sure we shouldn't look for Kara?"

"I told you, she needs to go a few rounds with the punching bag."

She sighed. "Look, I don't want to take anything away from your grief, but Kara is going through this on a whole different level. I don't want her to blame herself and do something crazy."

Lee shook his head. "She didn't seem to be blaming herself."

"I'm glad, but that doesn't mean…."

"She said 'they.'"

Sharon stopped. "What do you mean?"

"That's what she said. 'They.' 'They took her.' And then she ran off."

Sharon's eyes went wide. "Oh God. I know where she is." She started running.

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The faint breeze off the lake felt good against her cheeks. It carried with it the fresh scent of lavender and pine. She breathed it in deep and smiled.

"Enjoying yourself, I see." Her companion's voice tickled her ears.

Caprica Six opened her eyes. "This was my favorite place in all of Caprica."

"Yes, so I remember." Baltar sat on the neighboring lawn chair. "And this, I believe, was your favorite drink." He handed her a chilled cocktail. "Sunset again I see. Have you noticed we always come here at sunset?"

"I like the way the light plays on the lake."

"It does the same at sunrise. I think."

Six giggled lightly. "Gaius, were you ever up to see the sunrise?"

"Of course I was," he scoffed. "All those nights when I never went to sleep."

"This is also the time I would come," she went on. "We'd have drinks out here on the deck before turning to more…strenuous activities." She gave him a sexy grin as her fingers traced patterns on his palm.

"Yes, those were the days," Baltar took a sip of his drink. "Too bad this place doesn't exist anymore."

She stopped her advances and turned back to the lake. "Something you are constantly reminding me of."

"Oh come now. You still feel guilty?"

Six closed her eyes. "I don't want to discuss it."

"Fine, deny all you want." She heard him shift slightly in his chair, occasionally sipping his drink.

For a few precious moments she was at peace, listening to the birds sing their evening song and feeling the last of the sun's rays warm her body.

Baltar broke her out of her reverie. "We have company."

Six opened her eyes. Standing in front of the glass cage was a fierce blonde woman dressed in a flightsuit. Although Caprica Six had never actually seen her she knew this was the Starbuck the others were so interested in.

For a few moments Starbuck simply stared. Then, without turning away, she said something to the guard. Six couldn't hear, but the guard's response must have angered her because some of the fury in her eyes was suddenly directed to the young Marine. This time Starbuck yelled and pointed emphatically at the door. Reluctantly he opened it. Six knew the routine; she automatically retreated to the farthest corner.

"You're dismissed Corporal," Starbuck said. The Marine hesitated slightly before slowly heading for the exit. "Wait." She held out her hand but never took her eyes off Six. "Give me your sidearm."

"Sir…"

"I said give me the frakking weapon Corporal!" He complied. "Now get out."

With one last bewildered look, the young Marine left the main room.

Only now did the pilot enter the cage. The gun twitched slightly in her hand, but she didn't raise it. "Remember me?" She advanced slowly.

Six put up a calm front. "We've never actually met, but I know who…"

"Never MET?" Starbuck's tone was icy. "Your wires get crossed? Let me refresh your memory. Delphi. Arrow of Apollo. You on your back with a spike through you heart!"

Six shook her head. "That wasn't me…"

"You're all the frakking SAME!" Now Starbuck was within touching distance, and she raised the weapon. Six's eyes widened as she looked for a way out. Starbuck laughed. "I'm not going to shoot you." She tossed the pistol in the air and caught it by the barrel. "But this is going to hurt."

The blow to her temple caused Six to stagger against the wall, but somehow she managed to stay upright. She sensed more than saw the second blow and ducked just in time. But now Starbuck was done with the gun. Six heard it scatter across the floor as Starbuck grabbed hold of her shoulders, kneed her in the gut and then threw her onto the floor.

"Get up." Six didn't move. "I said get up you frakking bitch." Six felt strong arms pull her up to her feet. Starbuck punched twice- a left to the face and a right into her abdomen. Six grunted and fell to her knees, shielding her face behind her arms. "Fight back!" Starbuck yelled as she pulled on Six's hair, forcing her to look at the pilot. "Fight me!" Six shook her head and Starbuck let out a primal scream.

Another vicious kick sent Six sprawling on her back. Starbuck was on her in an instant, and all Six could do was try in vain to shield herself from the woman's fists.

Then suddenly it was over. Two men- Agathon and Apollo- pulled Starbuck off her. The woman began fighting them, but the taller man held her firm against a wall. Six felt gentle hands on her wounds and looked up to see Sharon's familiar face.

"Kara, STOP."

"Let me go Karl or I swear…."

"What the frak were you thinking?" Apollo was in her face now. "I should throw your ass in hack…."

"Don't let him," Gaius whispered in her ear. "Trust me."

"Don't." Six's voice cracked as she spoke, but it was enough to silence everyone. "Don't want to press charges."

"Hey I don't need you on my frakking side!" Starbuck took a step forward but Agathon pushed her back against the wall.

"Dammit Kara don't make me hurt you!"

"She was in the Farms!" She pointed to her stomach. "She was there when they did this! They took her! She's dead because of them!! Kacey wasn't enough, they had to take her too!" Six wasn't sure what she was talking about, or what twists and turns of logic was causing her to connect the two of them.

Agathon seemed to understand though, as did Apollo. The shorter one cupped her face and spoke in a softer voice. "Kara…"

Starbuck pushed his hand away. "What, now you want to help? Where were you yesterday Lee?" Before he could answer she shoved him aside. "I don't want your pity. From any of you." Apollo made a sound but she cut him off with a voice devoid of emotion. "Just leave me the frak alone." She walked out of the cage, banging the outer hatch shut behind her.

"Go after her!" Agathon scolded.

But Apollo's face had become expressionless. His shoulders slumped as he shook his head. "No. Not this time. Not anymore." Without another word, he too left.

Agathon stared after him until his wife called to his attention. "We need to get her to Sickbay."

"I already paged them." The Marine was back. "They're on their way."

Agathon knelt next to Sharon. "How is she?"

"She'll live, but Starbuck did a number. Broken ribs, at least."

"Frak."

A reassuring hand slipped into hers. Six turned her head slightly to see Baltar kneeling next to her. "Why?" she whispered.

Sharon sighed. "She just lost a baby and she thinks…."

But her words were lost as Baltar answered. "I'll tell you soon. Just rest now."

Six closed her eyes as the Med Team arrived.

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"Could you imagine you, yourself, with a wife, and a porch swing, cause Gods know you'd have a porch swing, and a kid?"

Kara poured another shot and let the liquid burn through her body.

"I thought it would be nice. Teach him to swim, throw a ball."

It seemed like an eternity ago that she had had that conversation with Lee. Their last real conversation before their relationship entered one of its darkest periods.

"Bright shiny futures are overrated anyways."

"Yes they are," she muttered, offering a toast to the empty room. She felt stupid, so stupid. She'd actually let herself believe that a bright shiny future had been possible for her and Lee. She should have known better. She felt as if for the last few months she'd been playing dress up, pretending to be someone she wasn't. And now playtime was over, and it was time to return to her true self: Kara Thrace, Frak-Up Extraordinaire.

"I'm a screw-up Lee, try to keep that in mind."

He should have remembered that. She should have remembered that.

She drained her glass again.

"Thought I'd find you here."

Kara meet Tight's gaze evenly as he entered the Rec Room. She nudged the chair across from her out from under the table. "Want a drink?"

Tigh sat down. "I'm on duty."

Kara snorted as she poured. "Like that's stopped you before."

"That's no way to talk to your superior officer, Captain." Still, he accepted the drink. "To broken Cylons." He drank.

Kara lowered her glass. "So you know."

"Cottle paged CIC. You're lucky the Old Man wasn't there."

"You going to put me in hack?"

Tigh shrugged as he poured himself another shot. "She says not to. And I'm not about to throw you in the brig for doing something I've wanted to do myself." He looked at her. "Besides, you've been through enough."

Only Tigh could get away with saying that.

Kara looked down at her empty glass. "I just want it to stop."

"What?"

"All of it. You know, it's like, just when I think I can't lose anymore, they find a way…" She trailed off as she poured again.

"Well, that's why the Gods gave us two of everything. So we'd have a spare when the Cylons took one."

Kara laughed bitterly. "We should form a club."

"Old Man didn't like it last time we tried." Tigh downed his drink and stood. "But you go ahead. Drink and be insubordinate and cause trouble. No would blame you."

"Frak you. Don't try that reverse psychology bullshit on me again."

"I'm not trying anything. How do you think I knew where to find you?" Kara looked away. "It's what you do. Turn to the drink when the going gets tough. If you were fit to fly, you'd be up there playing chicken with the refinery ship." He leaned across the table. "Give me your eyes." She did. "This life's been frakked up for everyone for a good long while now, and some get more frakked then others. The cowards rot on the inside. The brave ones…They live. They survive." He stood back up. As he walked out he called, "Time to decide which one you are, Starbuck."

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"No other way to do it. It's gonna hurt." Cottle yanked Six's arm, popping the shoulder back in place. She gritted her teeth against the pain. The doctor rotated the arm and then nodded. "Looks good. You have a cracked rib; only thing for that is to wrap them up. The bruises are gonna last a while, I'm afraid. I'm keeping you here overnight, to be sure."

As if on cue two Marines stepped forward, handcuffing Six to the bed.

"Thanks, we all feel so protected. Now give her some privacy."

The Marines gave each other sidelong glances. "Sir, we're to stand guard."

"Which you can do on the other side of the curtain. Now." The Marines moved. "Frakking Marines invading my Sick Bay…." He muttered as he examined the restraints. "These hurt?"

Six shook her head. "They're necessary."

Cottle grunted. "I'm giving you some Morpha."

"No. I don't need it."

"Don't like martyrs in my Sick Bay, young lady. You're getting it."

Almost immediately the pain from her shoulder and ribs started to fade. "You helped everyone on New Caprica. Human and Cylon. Didn't you?"

Cottle continued scribbling on her chart. "You have a point?"

"Why? And why now?"

Cottle sighed. "The noble answer is I took an oath. 'First do no harm.' Just that. No harm to any patient, whoever or whatever they are. I've seen the insides of more people- Human and Cylon- than I'd like, and I'll be damned if I can't tell them apart. Maybe if more people realized that we'd be able to end this frakked up mess and live normal lives again." He hooked the chart to the end of the bed, lit a cigarette and took a long drag. "But the truth is I'm a grumpy old bastard with a weakness for blondes. Now get some rest."

"Was he flirting with you?" Baltar asked with indignation from her bedside. "Should I be worried?"

Six giggled. "Gaius, you're cute when you're jealous."

"And you, my dear, are high." She giggled again and closed her eyes. "Ah," he continued. "I see we're back at sunset."

She leaned over the railing, marveling at the sun. "Are you going to explain what happened before?"

"It's simply, really. A little mercy now and then goes a long way, especially when it's directed towards the Admiral's 'daughter.'"

She turned to him, incredulous. "Is that all?"

Baltar laughed. "Well, you can't tell me after all you've done that you didn't deserve it."

She turned away from him. Somewhere nearby a nightingale started it's tune. The breeze seemed cooler tonight, and she rubbed her arms. "She thought I was the model from the museum. And in the farms."

"So I heard."

"That wasn't me. I'm not them Gaius. I never hurt her."

"No, you were just instrumental in the destruction of her civilization."

The sun sank lower. "I tried to amend that. New Caprica…."

"Was a disaster, yes I know. Pity, too, it was such a lovely little dustball of a planet."

"You played your part," she sneered.

Baltar shook his head. "I believe you are referring to my corporeal manifestation. No, I remained here for the duration of that occupation."

"But I tried. It was the others who…"

"I know, I know. I'm getting a bit weary of this, you know. You knew you worked best alone; why trust the others with your plan? Especially that D'Anna; I always knew she'd be trouble."

"What would you have me do Gauis?"

"I hate seeing you like this. All the false guilt. It doesn't suit you."

"False guilt?!"

"Well, yes. Instead of feeling sorry for yourself locked in that cage, why don't you do something about it?"

"There's nothing to do."

The sun was but a sliver on the horizon.

"Really?" asked Baltar. "You can think of nothing that would help them?"

She stared out onto the water for a long time. "No," she finally gasped.

"Ah, you've figured it out."

"I can't."

"Why not?"

"I would be betraying my people. It would be the end to our civilization."

"I believe they call that 'leveling the playing field.'" He took her hands in his. "Today Starbuck said you were all the same. But I know that you are not. You are different; you alone are called Caprica. Face it, they have not been your people for a long time now." The sun was gone now, and the full moon cast everything in a surreal glow. "Prove her wrong; prove them all wrong. Show them how to survive, and you will redeem yourself in the eyes of God."

Caprica closed her eyes.

And nodded.

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He was in their quarters. Kara wasn't sure how she knew, only that when she left the Rec Room moments after Tigh with Lee Adama on her mind, her feet had led her there.

At the door she paused. She wasn't sure what she'd find inside, but she wasn't running away. Tigh had been right; it was time to choose.

And Kara Thrace was no coward.

So taking a deep breath, she opened the door.

Lee jumped at the sound. He was sitting on the couch, blank paper and pen in front of him. He sighed sadly. "I was hoping to avoid doing this in person…"

And then she noticed the packed duffel bag.

Words came easy when it came to Lee.

The truth didn't.

But before she could stop it, both were spilling out of her. "Were you only with me because of her?"

"Kara, don't…"

She held up her hand to stop him. "It's a simple question Lee. If she was the only reason why you were here, then go. Go now, and don't come back." She took a shuddering breath and stepped towards him. "But if you were here for me, for us, then I'm asking you not to go. Don't leave Lee." She swallowed. "I'm not running."

He paced between the coffee table and the couch. "These are family quarters. We can't stay here."

"Are you saying we're not family?"

He stopped and glared. "That's not what I meant and you know it."

"You didn't answer my first question."

"What do you want me to say Kara?"

"The truth."

"The truth?" Lee threw up his hands. "The truth is I don't know what I'm supposed to do now. I don't know where we stand."

"I don't either. But I know if you walk out that door now there'll be no coming back from it." She moved until she was standing right in front of him. "Just answer the question."

"It's complicated." He walked away and leaned against the wall, keeping his back to her.

"It's a yes or no question."

Lee was quiet. "Yes," he finally answered. "She was why I was here."

Kara felt her stomach plummet to the floor. It was as if her body suddenly realized how tired it was from everything that had happened in the last forty-eight hours. Gripping the edge of the couch, she somehow guided her body to sit.

"Kara."

"Don't Lee. Just….don't." She stared at the floor.

The table moved back, and then Lee was kneeling in front of her. Taking her hands in his, he started speaking before she had a chance to protest. "If you hadn't been pregnant, I would have never come to you. I would never have been brave enough. She gave me a reason…an excuse, really." He paused. "She gave the strength to do what I've wanted to do for years."

Tears gathered behind her eyes. "Me too." She gave his hands a squeeze. "So, I guess the real question is, are we strong enough for each other."

Lee brushed a stray piece of hair from her face. "Yeah. I think so." He kissed her softly. Kara responded in kind, and that kiss held more meaning than any words could. It mourned the death of their child, but was also hopeful for their future; it conveyed the words they had yet to say to one another, but which both knew to be true.

When it was over she rested her forehead on his. "I'm so tired."

"I know," he whispered, hands gently running along her back. When she nuzzled against him Lee helped her to stand and half carried her to bed. They held each other tight, her head resting on his chest. "You scared me today."

"I scared myself a little."

He smiled slightly as he tightened his hold. "That's a first."

"I just….It's like there's this weight on my chest and it hurts to breathe. And I just wanted to hurt someone; make them hurt like me." She drew a long, shuddering breath. "Oh Gods Lee, she's really gone."

"Yeah. Yeah, she is."

For the first time, Kara let herself break down. She sobbed for her child as Lee held her, his own tears running down his face. After a long time exhaustion seized them both.

They woke up the next morning holding each other tight, and while neither knew it, they had already begun to heal.