Bright, Shiny Futures - Chapter Twenty-Nine
Sharon watched as her husband paced around the hotel room. It irked her that he preferred to walk off his agitation rather than talk to her about it.
"Karl."
He kept walking.
"Talk to me Karl."
He stopped for barely a second then kept walking.
She stood, crossed the room, grabbed his arms and pinned him to the wall. "Talk to me Karl Agathon or so help me I'll ... "
"You'll what?"
She recoiled at the sound of his words and took two steps back. Helo's face went instantly contrite. "I'm sorry Sharon. I didn't mean ... "
"Didn't mean to treat me like I'm the enemy?" she said quietly.
He wasn't sure if he really did see hurt in her eyes or if it was just a projection of how he thought she should feel sometimes. Now was one of those times. "I'm sorry I snapped at you honey," he said tenderly, stepping forward and taking her hands. "I'm just a little distracted and on edge."
"That part I figured out already," she said, humour breaking through the hurt. "That's why I was trying to get you to talk to me. So you don't explode."
He gathered her into his arms. "You know me too well."
"What is it Karl?" she asked, voice muffled against his chest. "There's something bothering you."
"This whole situation is bothering me."
She pulled back to look up at him. "Well of course it's difficult but it's like any other difficult mission. You do what you have to, even if you don't always agree with the decisions that have been made."
"I understand that and I know what had to be done was necessary, it's just ... something feels wrong. Kara's husband, Sam, Lee, you ... it all feels very surreal to me. Like a dream or something. "
"A dream?"
Helo shook his head as his brow furrowed deeply. "I don't know Sharon. I'm not sure I can explain it."
"Try."
He took a deep breath then exhaled, mentally counting to ten as he gathered his thoughts. "It seems too easy. Like it was a setup. Almost like someone planned it all ahead of time and put everyone where they needed to be."
Sharon took a moment to digest his words. "You think someone's behind all this? Pulling the strings? Who?"
He shook his head. "I don't know. I can't imagine who it could be."
She gave him a direct stare. "Yes you do. You think it's my people don't you?"
"My people? I thought you considered humanity to be your people," he argued.
"I am who I am Karl. I can't change the fact that I'm a Cylon. I was born one of them and I'll die one of them. That doesn't mean that I don't support humanity's struggle to survive. You know full well I'm passionately committed to saving humanity even if it means I have to destroy my own people to do it."
"So does that make you one of us or one of them?"
"How can you even ask that?" she shouted in a whisper. "I've stood beside you for ten years, fighting for your causes and supporting you in everything you stood for. You trust me don't you?"
"Of course I trust you. I love you and I trust you. I always have. I don't trust the other Cylons though."
"Just because you don't trust them doesn't mean they're behind all the evil in the galaxy."
"I know that," he hissed. "But what other alternative is there?"
"We left the Others behind years ago. Back at the Helios Cluster, remember? We blew up the Resurrection Hub and destroyed their eternal nature. Cylons are as fragile as humans are now - they die just like you do. They aren't some uber-threat that you can blame for everything that goes on."
"I know that Sharon, and I really want to believe it, but what other explanation can there be? The people of Earth knew we were coming, knew about the Final Five and have orchestrated all this?"
Her silence was telling.
Helo shrugged. "I don't know what to believe. I just know that something seems off and it's leaving me with a really bad feeling."
XXXXX
The moon was high in the sky when Lee woke to the sound of footsteps passing the bedroom door. First he looked to see if it was Zach having a restless night, then, having ascertained the boy was still sound asleep in his bed, he sat up and listened.
The sounds were much different than what he was used to - soft steps on plush carpeting and creaking of wooden stairs instead of hard boots clanging on metal decking. The latter was a much louder sound but his years on Galactica had made him oblivious to the noise. Colonial One hadn't been much quieter - high heeled shoes clacking on the floors and calls for Laura Roslin at odd times had often happened during sleep cycles. Lee was finding though, that he slept much more restlessly without all the noise. Or perhaps it's just the stress of the current situation, he mused, straining his ears to the utmost. The sigh that floated back to him told him everything he needed to know. He hadn't heard it in nearly ten years but Kara had never been one to talk when she was upset and so her sighs - deep enough to penetrate the curtains around her bunk back on Galactica - had always alerted him to the times she was upset and restless.
He got up slowly, careful not to make a sound as he tiptoed out of the room. Kara was standing by the window in the living room, arms crossed against her chest, staring out at the stars. Lee stopped a few steps behind, not wanting to intrude if she needed privacy. He knew how that felt - when Dee had succumbed to the virus that had nearly claimed most of the survivors, he'd spent many a wakeful night trying to sort out his feelings. They'd been divorced several years already by that point but though he thought he'd put that disastrous marriage behind him, some lingering feelings had found their way out once it was truly over and there were no more words to be said.
How much more difficult must this be for Kara who'd loved and been happy with Michael. Yes loved, he said forcefully over his inner self's denial. Accept it Lee. Getting jealous will only lead to you doing something stupid and pushing her away again. Accept that she loved him - it doesn't mean she loves you any less, it just means she had to let go and found someone else to care for while you were gone. He swallowed, pushing the lump of hurt feelings and jealousy down.
"Are you okay?" he whispered shyly.
"I don't ... know," she replied after a beat, voice devoid of emotion.
"Do you need anything?" he asked, stepping forwards. "I could ... "
Kara shook her head. "I just need ... " She took a deep breath and sighed again. "I don't know what I need. Time? Understanding? I'm not sure how to get through this." She turned her head and met his eyes. "I can't even begin to understand how I feel."
"I think that's normal," he said. "It's the strangest situation ... I'm not sure I can even wrap my head around it to be honest, and I'm not nearly as close to it as you are."
She attempted a smile then turned back to face the night. "I feel like we were just running on survival instinct alone - I didn't even stop to question any of it, I just did what had to be done. Now? It all seems so unreal, so fantastic. I mean Michael - a Cylon? And Sam too? It's just about unbelievable."
"Shhh" Lee cautioned as her voice rose in distress.
"Am I surrounded by them? Are you one of them too?" she demanded of him.
He gave her a stern look. "You know better than that Kara."
She turned to squarely face him. "Yeah, and I thought I knew Sam. He killed Cylons. Hundreds of them. How could he be one of them? And Michael - it was just pure luck that I landed where I did and met him, or was it? Was it all orchestrated? Has my whole life been planned out for me, decisions made without my knowledge and I'm just a pawn in some greater game?"
"I don't know Kara," Lee said helplessly. "I really don't know what to think." He took a deep breath. "Once upon a time I'd have put a bullet in Sam as soon as look at him if I'd found out he was a Cylon. I'm not sure why that's changed. Sure, A part of me feels betrayed that the man I've been friends with for the last eight years isn't who I thought he was, but there's a part of me that's glad the secret is out. It always felt like there was something hidden, some secret I wasn't aware of."
"Apparently he wasn't aware of it either," she said softly, eyes deep and dark in the moonlight. "You two have been friends since I disappeared?"
Lee almost smiled at the shy look on her face. "It seems your death was the only thing that could unite us. Once neither of us had you and never would again we were able to put it behind us and get to know one another. We had you in common after all."
Kara did smile. "I'm glad. Sam needed a friend. He didn't have anyone but me really, especially not on Galactica."
"You'd be surprised at how many friends he ended up making."
"What did he do after I disappeared?" she asked, the question she'd been wondering about for a long time unable to remain unasked in the face of the revelations she'd learnt about him.
"He became a pilot."
Kara quirked her head sideways. "You're frakking with me."
"No I'm not," Lee said seriously. "He joined up, did the nugget training and became a Viper pilot."
She shook her head and turned back to the window. " Why would he do that?"
Lee turned as well and they stood side by side, arms just touching. "Probably the same reason I quit flying - you."
"Hmm."
"Maybe it helped him feel closer to you," he whispered. "I know it did for me. It was too much though. I missed you so much I couldn't even see straight when I was out there." He felt her weight shift against him, as though she were leaning closer. "The one time I did go out there I swore every bird I saw said Starbuck on the side. I couldn't keep everyone's callsigns straight and I felt like I was flying blind. I knew I just couldn't do it without you."
The moment lingered between them in silence. Then Kara spoke softly. "I think that's the most romantic thing anyone has ever said to me," she whispered, voice wavering.
He dared a glance sideways and was shocked to see her bottom lip quivering. When he slipped a hand around her waist, she turned and melted into him, crying quietly. He put his other arm around her and pulled her against him tightly. "You really ought to start keeping better company if 'I can't fly without you' is the most romantic thing you've ever been told," he said lightly, trying to ease the seriousness of the situation.
She began to shake and Lee realized with relief that it was laughter. Tears were still streaming down her cheeks though and her hazel eyes were darker than usual.
"I'm serious Lee, men don't say romantic things to me."
"Well they should." He brushed back her hair and tucked it behind her left ear, loving the way some of it still misbehaved and fell forwards onto her cheek. "I aim to fix that."
She smiled shyly and Lee was aware that for the first time he was seeing the real Kara - the person deep down inside that she never showed anyone. Even when she'd apparently been at her most vulnerable, some vestiges of the walls she hid behind were still there.
The smile wavered. "Now probably isn't the best time to start. We have bigger worries."
Lee sighed and dropped his hand back down to her waist.
"I'm going to need to talk to Sam again," she said, bringing the subject back around to where it had started before going wildly off-track. "Spend some time talking about him and his visions. I need to know what they mean and if this is for real. And if so, what's next."
"I'm not sure I can handle any more surprises. The events of the last thirty-six hours are more than I can swallow easily Kara. I did what I did to protect you and the kids but I'm not even sure it was the right thing to do. I know my conscience is going to give me a lot of grief over breaking the law and condoning a man's death. Even though I've called Sam a friend for years I'm not even sure I believe him."
"You wouldn't go to the police and tell them the truth would you?" she asked meekly.
He lifted a hand to caress her cheek. "No, not if it'll hurt you. The one thing you can be certain of is that I'll do anything I have to, to protect you and your family. Even if I disagree with it. I love you and I'll be there for you no matter what comes. Count on that." He leaned forward and kissed her forehead.
"I will," she whispered, closing her eyes and trying to let the warm feelings of love and protection shut out the cold feelings of despair and fear that were threatening to smother her.
XXXXX
"Mr Vice President."
The aide's quiet voice interrupted his meditations. "Yes Johnson?"
"The President is on the phone. He wants to talk to you sir."
The Vice President's eyebrow raised. It was well past midnight. A call now had to be something urgent.
"Thank you." His brusque tone dismissed the aide right away and he took up the phone quickly. "Yes Mr President?"
"I"m sorry to disturb your sleep Max but we've got a situation here."
"What can I do?" he offered immediately.
The President spent a few moments filling him in on all the details. Then there was silence as he gave a big sigh. "I'll need you to get on a plane to Iraq. You're far more diplomatic than I am and besides, you've spent time right in the middle of the situation. You can give them a first-hand account and try to smooth things over in a way I can't, having only heard things second-hand. We've been flirting dangerously close to war for a long time and I'd hate for Galactica's arrival to be what triggers it."
"I'll be out the door in five," he promised. "You can count on me to do whatever's necessary to prevent war."
XXXXX
As the small plane lifted off the runway and became airborne, he thought about the predicament he was flying off into. Iraq and the United States of America had had a strained relationship at best for most of the previous five years. The dictator in charge of the country had been near the top of the US's wanted list and the previous administration had nearly gone to war to remove him. Fortunately, there had been a change in government before that had occurred and many US citizens, including himself, were thankful that catastrophe had been averted. He wasn't afraid to go to war when it was necessary and he knew most of the country would back him, but this had been a near impossible situation with no clear chance of a victory. War was not an option.
Still, they'd been treading on eggshells ever since the change in government, each country aware that they were only one trigger finger away from nuclear war. Iran too, was a sticky situation. They had openly stated their intention to back Iraq if it came to war, though they themselves had had American help, in the form of weapons, to fight the very neighbour they were now supporting, many years earlier.
The irony of the situation never failed to hit him squarely in the gut.
North Korea too had had some rumblings of discontent recently. The Vice President had caught a few illegal transmissions that had made it out of the tightly-held country and it worried him that they believed without a doubt that the story of Galactica and humans from another part of the galaxy was a great big hoax, giving the United States the power to do with the world whatever it wanted.
At times like this he didn't envy himself his job. But he'd taken on the job to make a difference in his country and around the world and by God, that's what he was going to do, no matter how hard it was.
He settled back against the comfortable leather backrest of the lear jet and closed his eyes, hoping to get some rest before the difficult job of unruffling the Middle East's feathers was upon him.
TBC
A/N: Thank you to all of you who are still sticking with this story. I know it's going in some odd directions and the characterizations are a little different than you might expect (given that it's set nearly a decade into the future) so thanks for giving it a chance. And thank you to all of you who've left me such kind reviews - even the ones with criticisms are good. It's always important to know where things are working and where they aren't. :)
Thanks as always to starpollo for posting this for me. mwah Kisses!
