Chapter Forty-Five

"There's someone I want you to meet, kiddo," Kara said, carrying Kaylee into the hangar deck. The people scattered around the room working all stopped what they were doing and stood to salute. Kara stopped and stared at them, a lump of emotion building in her throat. "You know you don't have to do that, right? Didn't Lee tell you?" she looked over at her husband, who was standing next to the Chief. The kid who'd been playing with a piece of scrap metal, looked around curiously before adopting the salute as well.

"He did, Sir," Galen said, his hand still at his forehead.

Kara took a shaky breath, trying to stop the tears from forming. She knew they were making the right choice but leaving these people behind was going to be so hard. They had become family to her long before the end of their collective worlds and if anything, their mutual loss had solidified the camaraderie between them all.

Cally stepped forward. "We just wanted you to know that no matter what, you're still one of us."

Kara knew she should hug the woman, wanted to, but she felt a bit uncomfortable making the first move. Still, the moment called for more than a handshake, especially considering how much Cally had done for them with Kaylee. Cally took the initiative and wrapped her arms around Kara, kissing Kaylee hello at the same time. The child took a handful of her brown hair and pulled, giggling happily.

"Godsdammit, Cally. I just realized I'm gonna have to find another babysitter," Kara cracked with a weak smile.

"Mamma!" the little boy put his hand down and ran towards her. His brown eyes looked up in confusion at Kara and she tugged on her pant leg.

Lee came up behind him and picked him up so he'd be eye level with Kaylee whose gaze moved to her father. She shrieked then and reached out for him.

"Fakking bat!" the little boy snapped, slapping Kaylee's hand.

Kara's eyes widened and she gasped meeting Lee's surprised gaze. Kaylee jerked back and grunted before falling half out of Kara's arms so she could grab the little boys hand and stick it in her mouth before the kid or anyone else realized what she was going to do. She bit him, her few tiny teeth making her message undeniably clear. "Don't mess with me, little frakker."

"Oh frak. No, Kaylee! Bad girl," Kara insisted pulling Kaylee back as the little boy howled.

"Deeeedeee!" Kaylee wailed, Kara clearly replaced in her affections at the moment.

"That wasn't nice, Kaylee. And you," Lee pushed his arms up beneath the little boy to get his attention. "She's our baby. You two are going to have to be nice to each other. You're gonna have to make friends."

"No friends! My momma!" The boy punctuated his point by wrapping his arms around Kara's neck.

Kaylee tried to shove at him. When that didn't work, she stuck a finger into his nose.

"Well, this is gonna be fun," Kara said with a tight smile pulling Kaylee away from him.

"Come on," Lee said prying the boy's arms off of Kara. "Guys, thanks. We'll be back. All of us, hopefully, but I'm not making any promises." He led Kara and Kaylee out to the corridor. When they got to their quarters, Lee took a quick look around, remembering that they were gonna have to start packing soon. He pushed aside the heavy feeling in his chest and forced himself to focus on the problem at hand.

He put the little boy down and Kara set Kaylee on her feet as well. Bad idea. The little boy shoved Kaylee so that the little girl fell backwards, thankfully on her padded bum, but the violent gesture made her shriek nonetheless. She turned towards Kara and buried her face in her mother's shins.

"Bitch!" the little boy shouted.

"Hey!" Lee snapped pulling his skinny arm. "That's not a nice word! You don't say that again. Got it?"

"Go away," the little whimpered, his lower lip quivering. He ran towards the corner of the room, facing the wall.

"I don't think we thought this through," Kara sighed, kneeling down to Kaylee who had graduated to hiccupping sobs, staring at Kara with tears streaming down her face.

"It never occurred to me they wouldn't get along. What the frak do we do now?" Lee rubbed his face and turned towards the little boy.

The child stayed facing the wall, pretending to ignore Lee but his tiny body gave a little shudder and his tears ran down his face unchecked, dampening the skin of his neck.

"Hey. What's going on, huh?" Lee asked, placing a hand on his back.

The little boy shook his head. "Fakking bat. No good bat. Go away now. No mommy. No daddy."

Lee's mouth dropped open and he met Kara's sad gaze.

"Meeemeee," Kaylee said insistently, laying claim.

The little boy shuddered again and rubbed one eye with his fist. "No good bat. Nobody."

"Listen to me, you," Lee grabbed the little boy gently and turned him so that he could see Lee. "We're all gonna live together. You, me, Kara and Kaylee."

At the mention of Kaylee the little boy scowled. "Mine," he insisted, grabbing Lee's forearm, the gesture making Lee's eyes burn with tears. He sniffed and forced them back.

"And Kaylee's," Lee reminded him. "You're gonna have to share us."

"Donwanna. No!" he insisted, shaking his head.

"Yes," Lee countered. "We're gonna be a family all together. That means you have to be nice to each other. We want you with us but you have to be nice to Kaylee."

"Come on, kiddo. Kaylee's a hoot. You two'll get along like gangbusters…once she learns you're not a chew toy," Kara added with a wince.

The little boy looked at Kaylee skeptically.

"You're gonna be a good girl from now on, aren't you?" Kara said, bouncing Kaylee lightly in her arms.

Kaylee smiled at her mother, but scowled at the little boy. She wrapped her arms proprietarily around Kara's neck. "Meemee."

"Yes, but I'm gonna be his meemee too," Kara said rubbing her back.

"Mine?" the little boy asked hesitantly.

"Of course," Lee promised, hoping he was finally getting through.

"No go away?" he pressed, his voice small.

"I'm gonna kill this kids frakking parents. I swear to the Gods," Kara seethed, her arms tightening around her own child.

"No. You're not going anywhere," Lee assured him, feeling sick inside at the neglect this kid had suffered.

"But…you want baby," the boy pointed out, looking at Kaylee.

"And we want you too," Lee said firmly. He cupped the boy's face and wiped the tears from his cheeks. "We want you both and that means you're gonna have to be nice to each other. Can you do that?"

"Baby not nice," the boy scowled.

"You were very mean to her. You're bigger so you have to teach her. How about it?" Kara asked. "I want you to stay with us."

The little boy bit his lower lip and looked skeptically from Lee to Kara and then Kaylee.

"I try," he shrugged grudgingly.

"How about you, kiddo? Can you be a good girl for mommy?" Kara asked with a smile.

Kaylee knew nothing but that her mother was grinning at her so she smiled back.

And proceeded to blow another raspberry at the little boy.