Kara slowed from a jog to a walk, using one arm to wipe the sweat out of her eyes. Two weeks without exercise had taken its toll on her running time, but it felt good to do something besides eat, sleep, and sit. She had another week of light duty before she could take her flight physical and get back into the cockpit, and she knew that the running would go a long ways towards improving both her mental and physical health to get her through it. She needed to be in the cockpit; it had been too long, and the simulators weren't enough to keep her sharp.
She wondered if Lee was feeling the same way. Truthfully, she wasn't sure. Since she'd moved back to her own bunk the evening after her crying jag, she hadn't run into him at all. He'd spent most of his free time scrubbing toilets and hauling trash to atone for his fight with Aames. At least, that's what Sharon had told her. Kara wasn't sure if she wished she'd seen him or not. Cold turkey seemed to be the way to go when it came to getting over her annoying dependence on him, but that didn't make it easy.
She'd only made one real concession to the last three difficult nights. After lying awake for all of the first one, she had slipped into Lee's room while he was out and traded pillows with him. She had no clue if he would notice – and she really didn't care if he did – but the now-familiar scent had helped lull her to sleep, and last night she'd only awoken twice. Both times she'd been in a cold sweat, but neither one had brought her to screaming. She considered it to be progress.
"Hey, Starbuck! What do you hear?"
Kara smiled at the commander as she slowed her pace to match his. "Nothing but the rain," she replied, awaiting his conclusion to their little by-play.
"And how do you feel?"
That caught her of guard, but she didn't let it throw her too far. "I'm okay," she told him. "Not quite back to normal, but I'm getting there." She paused a moment before she gave in and asked, "Have you heard how Lee's doing?"
He smiled at that. "He's doing well," Bill told her. "I saw him this morning, when he asked about you. I figured I'd better keep my eyes open and find out."
She blushed slightly at that, but she didn't think it was obvious with her face flushed from running. "We've missed each other the last couple of days," she hedged.
"So he told me," Bill said. "He's worried about you."
She shrugged and hoped it looked casual. "I'm fine. Maybe a little tired, still, but I'll be ready to fly by next week. I'm probably ready now if you'd consider letting me…"
"Not a chance," he told her with a raised eyebrow. "Both of you need time to recover, mentally as well as physically."
"I'm fine," she told him again.
"Who are you trying to convince?" he asked. "Me or yourself?"
Kara didn't answer that, but gave him a slight glare. He was too much like his son, as tenacious as a dog with a bone. "Why is it so hard for you two to believe that I can get over this?" she asked in annoyance. "I'm a hell of a lot stronger than I look."
William Adama smiled, reaching out to pat her on the arm. "It's a family trait," he told her gently. "We worry about the people we love."
She wasn't going to touch that one with a ten-foot pole. Yes, she loved Lee, and she was sure it was two-way, but that wasn't something she wanted to go into with his father. "I worry about him, too," she admitted, the only part of the truth she would allow herself to verbalize.
"Tell him that," Adama requested.
Something in his voice caught her attention and she looked sideways at her commander to see him looking at her intently. "Pardon?"
"Tell him," he repeated. "He has it in his head that you want him as far away as possible, and somehow I don't think that's the case. I know you want to do this on your own, but I've learned something in the last few years. Take it from an old man, life is a hell of a lot easier when you spend it with a friend."
She couldn't argue with that statement, so she chose to ignore it. "If you've got time, would you like to meet up for dinner?" she asked in an attempt to change the subject.
"Actually," he said, and she could have sworn he was blushing. "I… um… I have a date."
Her eyes widened and she looked at him pointedly. "For real?"
He laughed gently. "Relax, it's just coffee," he told her. "But who knows."
"Can I ask who?" she said with genuine curiosity. She cared a lot about this man, and she did want to make sure that whoever he was with was worthy of him.
"No," he told her simply. "At least, not yet."
Kara didn't know what to say to that. Truthfully, she was hurt. She'd thought they were closer friends than that. "I see," she said, but she really didn't.
"Maybe soon," he told her. "I guess… maybe I just want to keep this without questions for a while."
Kara gave a careless shrug. "I'm not your mother," she told him with a wink. "You don't have to answer to me. Lee may feel differently, but you don't have to answer to me."
Bill laughed and patted her on the back as he made the turn in the corridor for CIC. "Have a good day, Starbuck."
"You too, Commander," she called over her shoulder, heading down the corridor towards pilot's quarters so she could shower and dress for duty.
Unfortunately, every stall in the pilots' shower was full, with at least two people waiting in line. If she hadn't been so out of shape, she might not have been so sweaty and itchy, but as it was she felt miserable.
Almost involuntarily, her gaze slipped in the direction of Lee's quarters. The door was closed, so he likely wasn't there. If the door was locked, she knew the code. She was also fairly sure he wouldn't mind if she slipped in and got clean. The very thought made her feel guilty, because she'd been deliberately avoiding him for the last couple of days. She'd been afraid that if she ran into him, she might weaken. She was damned tired of feeling weak.
But she was also tired of sweat and grit. The line she was in hadn't moved, and a few other people had been added to the other lines. She had work to get done, and time was getting tight. If she wanted to get breakfast, she knew she'd have to speed things up.
Finally she realized that there really wasn't a decision. She tucked her clothes under one arm and walked to Lee's door. As a courtesy she knocked first, but she didn't really expect an answer. When she got what she expected, she punched in the code for his lock and eased through the door.
"Lee?" she called out. Nothing. She crossed the room to knock on the door to the head. "Lee, are you in there?" Again, no response. She pushed the hatch slowly open – just in case – and then entered so that she could get cleaned up.
Ten minutes later, Kara was warm and clean and smelling a hell of a lot better. She considered dressing in the confined space of the head, and decided that she'd have a better chance of getting dressed without hurting herself if she went out into the main room; there was barely enough room to turn around where she was. She wrapped Lee's towel around her body, grabbed her dry clothes from the tiny sink, and moved out into the room. Once she'd tossed her clothes on his bed, she dropped the towel and pulled on her underwear. Before she could find her bra in the tangle of clothes, she heard the door behind her open and she scrambled for her clothes – the towel – anything.
"Nice," Lee said simply, and she could hear the smile in his voice.
"Cute," she muttered, finally getting her hands on her shirt and holding it up in front of her chest while she spun to face him.
"Hey, it's my room," he told her with a grin, closing the door behind him. "So, by default, I get to see what goes on in here. Objections?"
"Turn around, Lee," she said in a growl.
"Not if you paid me," he countered with a wink. "The view's too good."
Fine, she thought. If he was going to try to make her uncomfortable, then two of them could play at this game. "Last warning," she told him.
He crossed his arms and leaned back against the door, but he didn't turn around.
She had two options. The first – most sensible – was to grab her clothes and head for the restroom. Her second – much more fun – was to beat him at his own game. She'd never been one to play it safe. With no more thought than that, she dropped the shirt and reached for her bra. She pulled the running garment over her head, worked her arms through it, and adjusted the material beneath her breasts before looking up to see what Lee had done. She half expected him to have turned around after all; he had that damned Adama sense of decency. But this time, being male had overridden being an Adama, and he was still in the same position, eyes wide open, and smile completely gone. The look in his eyes was intent. "Like the show?" she asked. She had been going for sarcastic, but the words came out just a little forced, and her mouth was unusually dry.
Lee moved slowly, taking the few steps towards her before reaching out to run a finger from her temple to her cheek. She thought of moving back, getting out of range, but her feet seemed to be stuck in place. She didn't move a muscle as Lee's hands brushed down her arms, back up to her neck, and then his arms went around her.
She had thought she was ready for his kiss. She was wrong. When his lips touched hers, the jolt made her jump, and she didn't even have the presence of mind to put her arms around him. She just stood there, letting him kiss her, feeling his hands on her bare back, and enjoying it immensely. When he pulled away so that they could both catch a breath, she caught another look at his eyes. The deep blue was clearer than she'd ever seen it, and he looked far more serious than she'd seen in a long time. All she wanted to do was come up with a snappy comeback – a sarcastic remark – but she didn't have one. All she had was a rapidly beating heart and a fluttering sensation in her stomach.
"I'd better let you get dressed," he said in a hoarse voice. Then he was moving away.
Kara knew she should let him go, but what she should do and what she could do were a long ways from the same. As he stepped back, she moved forward, wrapping her arms around him and leaning up for another kiss. Lee wasn't complaining. In fact, the sigh he gave as she did so sounded a whole lot like relief. She knew the feeling.
Kara didn't rush the kiss. They played with one another, tongues tangling and teeth nipping, occasionally pressing closer for something more intense. His hands didn't leave her back, and hers didn't leave his, but she wanted them to on both counts. The feel of his hands on her skin was amazing. By the time Lee lifted his head from hers, they were both breathless, both shaking, and neither seemed to have a clue what to do about it.
"I'm gonna be late for work," she finally said, but her voice didn't sound like her own.
He nodded dumbly, reaching up with one hand to run a finger along her cheek, down her jaw, settling carefully around her neck. "I know," he said softly. "I make the schedules."
She smiled at that, feeling a lot more shy than she thought she should with a good friend, especially given how close they had been in the previous couple of weeks. But what they had shared this time hadn't been comfort, or desperation, or even friendship. It had been… more. "The showers were full," she told him by way of explanation.
"I figured."
"I thought I'd be out before you got here," she added.
"It's okay."
"No, it's not," she corrected. "I should have asked. I shouldn't have just come in. Or at least I should have checked the schedule to see…"
He cut her off with a kiss as deep as the last, one hand holding her head in place while the other trailed over the naked skin between bra and underwear on her right side until he was quite finished, and she was once again out of breath. "You don't need to explain," he told her simply, resting his forehead against hers.
"I just didn't want you to think I was… I don't know, leading you on or something."
Lee smiled at that. "You've done everything but jump ship to stay clear of me," he reminded her. "I didn't figure you were making an offer. I was just going to give you a hard time, but then you…"
"Yeah," she agreed, giving a slight blush as she spoke. "Guess that wasn't my brightest move today."
"I don't know," he argued. "I really didn't mind it."
"Gee thanks," she muttered, finally moving away to grab her shirts. She pulled on one, and then the other, before reaching for her pants. Lee just stood there watching with an odd look on his face. "What?" she asked.
"Just… watching."
She shook her head. "Come off it," she said in slight annoyance. "If you want a show, there's about a dozen girls out there with a lot more to look at and a much more agreeable disposition," she remarked. "Anything I've got they have more of and it's better distributed. Trust me."
Lee just grinned. "You really believe that, don't you?"
She gave a shrug as she sat on the edge of his bed and pulled on her pants. "I'm a realist," she told him.
"You're a cynic," he corrected. "But that's okay. I'll consider it a challenge."
She raised her eyebrows in a silent question. What the hell was he talking about?
"You know," he told her. "I've figured something out in the last few days. A lot of things, actually. To begin with, I miss you. It was nice having a friend around at three in the morning when the room closes in. Another thing… you're warm. I didn't know how cold that damned bed was until you weren't in it. It surprised the hell out of me."
"Lee, this isn't…" she began.
"Nope," he interrupted, placing one palm against her cheek with a thumb covering her lips. "My turn; let me finish. The days are a lot longer when I don't have someone to look forward to talking to about them. And maybe I'm out of line, but I think you care about me too, and if the world's gonna fall apart around us, we don't have the luxury of thinking that life is going to last forever. So I guess if I'm going to have you in my life, I should just come out and say it because hinting around isn't getting it done."
Kara just stood there, slowly absorbing what he'd said, but even more so the way in which he'd said it. When he still hadn't moved his hand a few moments later, she carefully bit his thumb. She didn't realize her mistake until she'd done it. Lee's eyes closed in a moment of consideration, and then his arms were around her again. While the sensations on her body were less acute through a layer of clothes, his kiss was just as potent. Her eyes closed, her mind shut down, and for just that short time she forgot that she was a pilot and he was her boss and that they were just friends.
When he pulled back that time he was clearly reluctant, ending the kiss with gentle pecks and nibbles, another light kiss, and then a moment of just looking at her. "You've got to get to work," he told her, but he didn't sound like he meant it.
Her mind went over the roster placement. She had the sims today – nine young pilots trying to learn to control a shuttle without killing anyone. It wasn't something she could ignore, or go into with her mind clouded. "I'm off at twenty-two hundred," she thought aloud.
He smiled at her. "You know where to find me," he said softly, and kissed her once more, gently, carefully.
"Mmm, hmm," she agreed, letting herself return the kiss.
Lee just shook his head. "Go," he finally said. "While I'll still let you. I don't want us both in hack because we aren't paying attention to time."
She had to smile. "Mister By-the-Book… first fighting, now making out on shift. Maybe the world is ending."
"You little brat," he said, moving to smack her, but she was too quick. She grabbed her socks from the bed and headed for the door.
"Oh, and check with your dad," she called as she was opening the door. "He said he has a date tonight, and I can't get any details. Maybe you'll have better luck."
Lee looked at her dubiously. "Right."
Kara laughed all the way to her locker.
William Adama sat nervously in his room while he waited for his guests. The last month had set new records for him in the way of emotional confusion, but he was finally ready to settle down and make some kind of sense of it. Unfortunately, he didn't feel that he could do it alone. There were too many other people involved in the situation to make it his solitary choice, and that was what had him on edge.
Okay, so he had a girlfriend, for lack of a better word. It was a stupid word, really. He was well over sixty years old, and she was over fifty, so the whole "girlfriend", "boyfriend" terminology seemed grossly inadequate. It also wasn't a traditional relationship, he supposed. At least not like the ones he'd had when he was younger. He barely remembered dating before Iilya, but he was fairly sure that the physical aspect of it had been predominant. Now he found the intellectual stimulation to be far more valuable. It wasn't that she was unattractive – far from it, actually – but his priority was her mind rather than her body.
Hell, he didn't even really remember. He hadn't dated in so damned long that all of it was purely unclear. He wasn't even sure if what he was doing could rightly be called dating. He had dinner with her occasionally, they met in his room to talk several times a week, and they both enjoyed a good game of cards or watching old vids. Once or twice they'd fallen asleep side-by-side, and he did enjoy kissing her, but he wasn't entire comfortable going further. He was old fashioned that way.
She didn't seem to think of him as an old man, and his appearance hadn't stopped her from kissing him on more occasions than he could count. William remembered having a discussion with Saul months earlier about infatuation and what it felt like, and if Adama was honest, this was it. He couldn't find it in him to be sorry.
But that was the beginning – not the end – of the dilemma. First there was the age issue, which was only about ten years, but appeared to be substantially more. She was a beautiful woman, and there were days he had to remind himself that she wasn't a girl. Next, she was enlisted. Granted, he'd essentially eliminated the division between officers and enlisted where his crew was concerned – they couldn't survive if limits were placed on who they could or couldn't be attracted to – but allowing his crew to fraternize and doing so himself were different matters. The only redeeming factor in that area was that she fell under medical and he belonged to command, which were two essentially independent entities. Finally, there was his son. While he and Iilya had been divorced for two years before her death, or nearly that, he still didn't know how Lee would react to his being with another woman. Lee was fiercely loyal, and yet he'd supported his mother's engagement. William didn't know if that was because Lee liked the man, or had hated his father at the time. Either way, he couldn't predict his son's feelings about this. Last, there was the woman concerned. Cassie was… amazing. She was honest to a fault, entertaining, lovely, sexy, and she'd had more than one run-in with both Lee and Kara, whom William considered almost to be a daughter. He didn't want Cassie to alienate his family any more than he wanted them to alienate her.
A knock at his door startled him from staring at the covered dishes on his table and moved his attention to the closed hatch. "Come," he called out, and was dismayed to find that his throat was so dry that he was hoarse. Lords he hated being nervous.
"Hey," Kara called as she stepped through the hatch. Lee was close behind her. The two were rarely seen apart lately outside of duty, but as yet his spies hadn't reported anything beyond a strong friendship. There had been no PDA observed between them, no careless comments, and no inappropriate behavior. He didn't entirely believe the reports, but he didn't have anything concrete to dispute them with. Kara sure as hell wasn't talking, and his son was the original clam.
"Come in," he said, trying again. His throat didn't feel any better. He grabbed a glass of water, took a swallow, and wondered when the world had shifted on him. Ten years before, he could remember his boys bringing home their girlfriends for inspection, their nervous expressions, the humor he'd found in the situation. Now the generations appeared to be reversed, and he wasn't enjoying the turmoil.
"We're here," Lee said as he pulled out a chair for Kara. Hmmm… that was interesting. William hadn't seen that before. Then Lee took a seat and for a moment things seemed almost normal.
"Sorry we're late," Kara told him. "Ran into some fuel issues on patrol. Can't seem to teach the kids to moderate their speed. They're either jumping ahead or falling behind, and all the switching back and forth uses up more fuel than it should."
"Suggestions?" he asked, automatically moving into "commander mode" as Cassie called it. For every problem, he believed there was a solution. His job was to find a way to find it. He couldn't solve all the problems on the battlestar, but he tried to see too it that each problem was addressed by someone qualified.
"Restricters, maybe," Kara said, looking to Lee for confirmation. He nodded, and she went on. "I'll talk to Tyrol about it, if you think it's okay. It'll slow them down some, but it'll also level out their acceleration. We can always have them shut down in the event of an attack."
Lee nodded. "But only in certain Vipers," he said, moving his gaze back to his father. "I know I have some veterans who would be purely pissed off if they had to be held back that way. It's not necessary, and it's frankly insulting."
"Not to mention boring," Kara agreed with a wink. "But other than that, things are pretty level, I suppose. The new shuttle pilots are settling in nicely, and we have a few more slated to start training next month. I think we'll have quarters filled out well by then."
Willliam Adama smiled. It was good news. They had been fighting with the lack of pilots since the war began. He was just about to inquire about other areas of the flight deck when a tentative knock was heard. William took a deep breath and faced his son. "Well, I guess this is it," he muttered.
"We finally get to meet the mystery lady," Kara said with a grin. William shook his head. Kara had been the first to know he was dating, and she hadn't let him live it down for a moment. He knew it was because she worried – he was in a relatively high-profile job within the fleet, and that might be seen as attractive to some women. It was normal to suspect a woman's motives.
But Cassie was different. He hadn't hidden her because he doubted her motives, but rather because he wanted to keep something for himself. He had very little that was his own on this ship – very little that was not work or family related – and Cass was someone he could turn to when either of those two areas became too much. It was selfish, but he hadn't wanted the crossover. The only real objectivity in his life seemed to come from this one woman.
He gave Kara a mild glare, but they all knew what this dinner was about. He'd told Lee when he'd invited him, as he'd told Cassie. William was sure that Lee had passed the information onto Kara, and if he hadn't been her comment would have told him. Trying not to be nervous – Lords he hated this – he walked to the door and opened it. Cassie was there, dressed in scrubs rather than her uniform, and looking positively exhausted. Apparently, his scheduling hadn't been all that he'd hoped. "Hi," she said in a faded voice. "Did I miss it?"
"We haven't started," he assured her as he took her hand to escort her into the room. She gripped hard, and he realized that she must be almost as nervous about this as he was. When he'd asked her for this – to have dinner with him and meet his family – he had known what he was implying. She had as well, and in her typical fashion she had asked him point blank what his intentions were. That discussion had led to a kiss of surprising intensity given his age – at least surprising to him – and a joke about Cassie's ability to perform CPR. "Lee, Kara, I'm sure you know Cassiopiea, from Life Station. Cassie, my son Lee, and a dear friend of the family, Kara Thrace."
"We've met," Lee said with a smile, standing up to take her hand and shake it gently. "In fact, you've poked more than one hole in me lately."
She smiled at that. "You only hurt the ones you love," she told him with a wink, reverting to her natural joking manner despite her obvious nerves. "As long as you stay out of life-threatening situations and barroom brawls, I promise not to come after you with any more needles."
Lee laughed, but Kara gave a snort. "Yeah, right," she said. "That's why you find the biggest needle you can when I come in for my annual physicals," she accused.
"Guilty as charged," Cassie replied, taking Kara's hand as well. "Consider it my reward for sending me more business than any other single pilot on the Galactica."
Kara laughed at that. "Everyone has to have a skill."
Cassie giggled in a surprisingly girlish manner, and Kara joined in. William and Lee looked at one another, each stunned at the sound, and then turned back to watch the women.
"It's nice to see you outside of Life Station," Kara finally said. "So, you're the one who's been monopolizing Bill's time." The statement sounded accusatory, even to William, but he decided not to comment. If Cassie was going to manage, she needed to hold her own from the start.
"I guess I am," she said, glancing over at him for encouragement. He gave her a smile and continued. "He's just about the best pyramid player I've run up against. Although, I hear that you normally beat the daylights out of him."
"She beats everyone," Lee threw in. "We've stopped taking it personally."
"Yeah right," Kara argued. "You've stopped playing; that's what you've done. I can't get anyone in a game."
"Maybe after dinner we can all play," Cassie offered hopefully. Kara gave her a nearly sadistic grin, and both Lee and William moaned. "What?" she asked innocently.
"Don't let them get to you," Kara advised. "They hate to lose." Then she turned her attention to Bill. "So, what have you found to feed us?" she asked, that same strain of hope in her voice that had been there when she'd asked about playing cards.
The meal went surprisingly well, Bill thought later. Lee and Cassie had gotten along well, and even Kara had seemed surprisingly agreeable. She did weasel them into a couple of games of cards, predictably winning but remaining amicable as she did so. He and Lee had rolled their eyes, and Cassie had taken it in good humor. In all, he couldn't have hoped that it would go better. He had even left Cassie and Kara alone for a few moments while he and Lee talked about some business related to CIC, and the two women had been talking pleasantly when the men had returned. William couldn't say that he wasn't surprised, but he was very pleased. By the time Lee and Kara had gone back to quarters, Cassie had been nodding off, Lee hadn't looked much better, and even Kara had been rather subdued. For his part, William felt very good, although he thought a great deal of his energy might be coming from unabashed relief.
"They're nice," Cassie said as he handed her a cup of coffee. She was curled up on the couch with her feet beneath her, shoes on the floor and looking about sixteen years old. Okay, so sometimes she still made him feel a little old. "I like them a lot better outside of Life Station," she remarked.
William laughed at that. "Most people aren't at their best there," he reminded her. "Pain has a way of bringing out the worst in people."
"Pain and annual exams," Cassie agreed. "Still, I felt like Kara had me under a microscope. She worries more about you than Lee does."
"She has a soft heart," he said gently. "Most people don't see it, but it's there. Heaven help anyone who hurts someone who she cares about."
"Tell me about it," Cassie said with a grin and another sip of coffee. "Although she only threatened me once. I guess that's a good sign."
"Threatened you?"
Cassie shrugged. "Something along the lines of my life not being worth much if I broke your heart. Frankly, I can't blame her. Although…"
Bill wasn't sure whether to be alarmed or amused. "Although…" he prompted.
Cassie looked at him seriously. "I almost got the feeling… I mean…" She shook her head. "I though for a minute I had some serious competition. She really thinks that you walk on water, and she's awfully pretty. And the way you talk about her…"
Bill had sat down next to her, but now he put his coffee down and moved close enough to put an arm around her shoulders. "Why is it that everyone assumes there's something going on between us?" he asked in confusion. "I've never been inappropriate around her, never indicated that there's anything going on… At first it was funny, but it's getting downright annoying."
Cassie snuggled into his hug, closing her eyes. "It's just rare," she said softly. "The two of you… hell, the three of you care so much about one another that it's almost visible. It's not something we see very often, and honestly it's enough to make most of us damned jealous. It's always easier to make accusations when someone else has something so… nice."
"We have a lot of history," Bill said thoughtfully, placing a small kiss at Cassie's temple. "I've told you about Zak, and the mess with Lee afterwards. Kara was kind of the… glue that kept us together when we really didn't want to be. I just wanted to get clear of the accusations, and Lee wanted to kill me, so Kara was the peacemaker. I guess going through something like that builds a bond that's pretty strong."
"I see."
He gave her a gentle squeeze and a smile. "Cass, the generations around here have been… redefined, but there is a limit. She's half my age, she's at least half in love with my son, and I see her very much as a daughter. I think you're place is pretty safe with me."
"My place?" she asked, lifting her head and facing him.
"Well, you definitely got their seal of approval," he said with a wink. "And you already had mine. I guess you're stuck with me now."
She looked at him very seriously. "What they think means that much to you?" she asked. There was no expression on her face, no indication of the answer she wanted, so he decided to be honest.
"I suppose it does," he admitted. "If tonight hadn't gone well, I would have felt the need to… change their opinions. I like having you in my life – you're good for me – but I also value my children. I wouldn't have kicked you out, but I definitely would have started plotting a way to get you guys together. Families aren't meant to be divided."
"I'm family?" she asked with raised eyebrows.
He leaned forward and kissed her. "Damned close," he told her softly. "Does that… bother you."
"It honors me," she said simply. "But… what if I hadn't liked them?"
He watched her for a long moment, and then he smiled. "Then I guess I'd have to change your mind," he said. "I can be very convincing."
Cassie set her coffee on the table next to his, then turned to put her arms around his neck and stretch her legs out over his. "You think you are, hmmm?"
"I can hold my own," he said, accepting her kiss, then giving one back.
"I'll need proof of that," she declared. "Talk is cheap."
"So it is," he agreed, kissing her once more.
It was the beginning of a lovely night, William thought later. Perhaps he could adjust to the new world after all. It wasn't easy having children flying the Vipers and his son further along in a relationship than he was, but there were far worse things. It was a new world, and the generations had been redefined, but that wasn't necessarily a bad thing.
And as he lay in bed with Cassie next to him, gently rubbing her back as she dozed in and out, he thought that he might perhaps be able to get used to then new way of things. At the very least, it would be fun to try. As Cass had once told him, he was a human first and a commander second… thankfully, he was beginning to think in those terms himself. At the very least, he could go into the mess hall now without garnering strange looks, and he could sit with who he wanted, talk about what he liked. It was progress, he decided. Yes, there would always be rumors flying on the Galactica, but he'd learned that they didn't need to rule him.
Now, if he could just figure out exactly what was happening between Kara and Lee, he might feel like all was right in the world. Absently he began to plot how Cassie might help him find out…
The End
(or as close as it's gonna get)