Somewhere Only We Know (Part Two)
Billy and Dualla sit opposite each other in the Mess hall. The room is full and a general air of despondency hangs over everyone.
"Looks like it's all down to the CAG now," Dualla states.
"I still feel like I should be doing more…" Billy says sadly.
She looks at him, compassion on her face. "You're doing what you can. I know she's your friend, but you're not responsible for this."
"I should have been with her – but no, I had to make-up some excuse to stay here in order to spend time with you. I'm so pathetic."
Dualla looks surprised by this. "You did?"
Billy looks uneasy by his lapse. "Uh – no, I just… I, uh - " he looks into her eyes. "Yes," he admits.
Dualla leans across the table and grabs his shirt collar. She kisses him hard. After a moment, she draws back and takes a sip of her drink.
The young aide looks shell-shocked. "What, uh - " he begins.
Dualla gives him a look that silences him. "Don't spoil the moment by speaking," she warns.
Billy smiles and nods in agreement.
oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
Kara runs forward excitedly; Sharon's scanner has picked up a signal being sent out by a radio transmitter. It has to be Lee. Boomer is close on Starbuck's heel as they move speedily towards the origins of the signal.
The shuttle rocks with the second impact and Laura grabs Lee's hand to steady herself. They're defenceless: any weaponry they had has been destroyed in the crash. They hear the thing circling the shuttle and their eyes follow it's trail.
oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
Lee moves towards the hatch, he peers out into the night. "There's got to be a way out of this," he says. "We could make a run for it - "
"We can't go out there – we don't know what that thing is or how many of them there are!" Roslin states, then pauses. "But if we stay here, we're going to die anyway! The shuttle can't take much more of this…"
The creature rams into the shuttle again – it rocks and a deafening creak reverberates through the interior: the hull is giving way.
Apollo looks at her. "What do you want to do?"
"Um – I was thinking of panicking," she admits.
Lee smiles. "That's not very constructive, Ma'am."
Roslin nods. "I know – I just never imagined this was how I was going to die!"
"Don't give up on us yet. I'll think of something," he says determinedly.
Laura wants to laugh. She doesn't see how her ever-resourceful Captain Apollo can get them out of this one!
oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
Kara and Sharon slow when they hear the roaring noise followed by a thud. Boomer stands ready with her gun and they approach at a more cautious speed. They see the shadowy outline of a large feline type creature circling the shuttle wreck.
They exchange a nod and then open fire on the creature. Thrace hits it in the leg and Boomer aims above its head to scare it off. Startled by this unexpected assault – the menacing creature whimpers and slinks off into the forest. Starbuck and Boomer check that the area is secure before continuing. They reach the shuttle and Kara yells out. "Hey – Lee, get your wimpy butt out here!"
A moment later, the hatch to the shuttle opens and Apollo steps out. He grins at Thrace and when he reaches her, she gives him a high-five.
"I am so glad to see you, you have no idea!" he laughs.
Roslin stands in the shuttle doorway, she smiles appreciatively at the pilots. "Ah – the Calvary – just in the nick of time!"
"Madame President," Kara and Sharon greet respectfully.
Lee turns to look at Roslin. "See, I told you there was nothing to worry about!"
oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
The Senior Officers are waiting anxiously on the hanger deck as Kara, Boomer, Lee and Roslin emerge from the Raptor, they smile wearily at their audience of Adama, Tigh and Billy. Adama steps forward and puts his hand on Lee's shoulder while Billy rushes forward and embraces the President. Laura is touched by her aide's concern and a little winded by the strength of his embrace.
Billy draws back from her and beams. "How are you?"
Roslin smiles warmly. "I've had better days," she jokes.
Adama gazes at his son, sure that he's in one piece, he turns to the President. "I thought we'd lost you."
"You won't get rid of me that easily!" she teases, then adds. "Thank you."
"For what?" the Commander asks.
"For not leaving us there."
"The thought never crossed my mind," Adama smiles sincerely, then shrugs his shoulders. "Well, maybe for a moment…"
oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
It's been a week since their rescue; a week since Laura has seen Apollo. Truth be told, she's been avoiding him. Been hiding because she's dreading that conversation… where he says the kiss they shared meant nothing and they should put it behind them. So, she's more than a little surprised and perplexed when he shows up on the flight deck of the Galactica as she's preparing to leave.
"Madame President," he greets.
She doesn't look at him. "Captain."
"I need to talk to you, privately."
And there are people about, so when he takes her arm and guides her onto the shuttle, she doesn't argue. She doesn't want a scene, doesn't want a confrontation, doesn't want to think about him… them… the whole mess.
Once inside the cabin, she says. "Could we do this some other time, I'm feeling particularly tired today and I just want to rest. Would you kindly vacate the shuttle so I can be on my way and I'll get Billy to make an appointment for you."
"I'm coming with you," he states.
"What?" she exclaims.
He quirks his eyebrow at the high-pitched tone of her voice. "I'm staying aboard Colonial One tonight, in guest quarters. We have a very early start tomorrow – the communications summit…"
She doesn't dispute him and when the pilot boards, she tells him to begin their journey back to Colonial One. The sooner they begin, the sooner she can escape Apollo's scrutiny.
Laura takes a seat by the window as they take off. Lee sits beside her. She leans away from him, so he leans across the armrest separating them, his face close to hers. Roslin stands and moves to the seat opposite. Lee stands and moves to the seat next to her.
Laura sighs. "What are you doing?" she asks, finally looking at him.
"Trying to get your attention," he replies. "You've been ignoring me all week."
She looks irritated. "Captain Apollo – this sort of carry-on is not helping the situation."
"What 'situation'?" he asks innocently, trying to get her to put a name to it, give them – this thing between them - a definition.
Laura clears her throat and looks about the empty cabin. She lowers her voice. "You know very well."
"We kissed," he clarifies.
Laura rubs the back of her neck and looks awkward. "Yes we did. It was a mistake, now if you'll excuse me - " she stands and heads towards the cockpit.
Lee gets to his feet. "Ma'am - we're not done!" he yells.
She stops dead, then spins on her heel and stares at him – she's unaccustomed to be yelled at and questioned… well, with the exception of Commander Adama – but he's entitled. Captain Apollo is not.
"Would you lower your voice please!"
Lee closes the space between them. "You owe me an explanation for why you're refusing to acknowledge what happened," he insists.
Laura looks taken back. "I don't owe you anything!" she replies heatedly.
"Uh – Madame President – your lips were pressed to mine, I think you owe me an explanation."
She looks deeply uncomfortable and folds her arms defensively across her chest. "A moment of weakness… lets put it down to that."
"A moment of weakness?"
"Yes."
"Nothing more?"
"No."
"Okay…" he says.
Roslin looks relieved.
Lee reaches out and grips her forearms, he pulls her to him and kisses her passionately. After a moment, he releases her. Laura looks stunned.
"Just put it down to another moment of weakness," Apollo says.
Her eyes are wide with surprise. "You can't - "
"Can't what? Kiss you?"
"Yes."
"Then stop me," Lee says and kisses her again, but she doesn't push him away. Instead, Roslin puts her arms about his neck and draws him closer to her. Apollo wraps his arms around her, his hands slide up her back and tug at her hair. Her heart beats erratically and he feels his body respond to the ragged sound of her breathing. Lee breaks the kiss; their faces are pressed close together. Her perfume encompasses him and she feels shivers run down her spine at the softness of his breath against her cheek.
"This is madness…" Laura whispers as he starts to unfasten the buttons of her blouse.
"The whole world's gone mad," Apollo says softly, kissing her temple. "You're the only thing that makes sense to me anymore."
Her lips trail his jaw as he removes her blouse and lets it drop to the floor. Laura tugs his uniform jacket open, he shrugs out of it and impatiently removes his undershirt. Their lips press ardently together and Lee's fingers grip her waist as her hands caress his skin; the sensation of his bare flesh against hers sends tremors through them both and then everything's like the day they met; a blur.
When the world was being obliterated they had found each other, had clung together. Life is so uncertain, neither of them takes anything for granted anymore and in the secluded cabin, as they make love, he knows he always wants to be who she turns to.
oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
When they exit the shuttle, Laura keeps running a hand through her hair, checking it isn't dishevelled. Apollo walks silently beside her, keeping a distance between them.
Billy stands on the flight deck waiting for them. "Pleasant journey?" he asks when they reach him.
Roslin looks self-conscious and Lee smiles uneasily.
"Um, yes… very pleasant," the President manages.
"You're not too exhausted, I hope," her aide enquires, worried about the effects of long flights on her health.
Lee conceals a grin.
"No…" Roslin replies and feels a blush rise in her cheeks.
The young aide nods and the trio make their way towards the exit; they reach the door and hesitate.
"So, I'll see you tomorrow, Madame President," Apollo says.
"Yes – tomorrow - " Roslin agrees, she looks at him for the first time since they rushed to put their clothes back on. "For the thing."
"The communications summit," Billy clarifies.
"Yes – the communications summit," the President amends.
Lee bites his lip. He doesn't want them to part this way but there's nothing he can do with Billy present. "Alright, see you tomorrow, Ma'am," and he turns away from her and starts down the corridor.
Billy starts walking in the opposite direction; Roslin follows, stealing glances over her shoulder until Apollo is out of sight.
oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
Laura enters the room she now calls home and sits on the bed. She thinks of Lee, imagines him pacing his room, regretting their liaison. She closes her eyes, she feels guilty; her self-control seems to be slipping, it's as if the cancer has given her an excuse to be reckless. When he first kissed her she should have pulled away from him, should have reprimanded him; set down boundaries… but she hadn't. He had touched her and her resolve had evaporated.
She seems to have spent her life watching the people she loves die. They leave her and she has to go on alone, maybe that's why she's protected her heart for this long, because she knew it would break easily; knew that once her defences were down she would pay the price and Lee Adama is her price.
A knock at the door interrupts her thoughts. For a moment fear grips her; a visitor this late could only mean bad news. "Come in," she calls out.
Lee draws back the curtain and enters.
She's thrown by his arrival. "Captain Apollo?"
He closes the curtain. "I couldn't leave it like that…" he says softly.
She stands up. "I was going to come and see you tomorrow," Roslin begins to explain.
There's something in her eyes that tells him she's having second thoughts and he feared this would happen. He moves towards her. "Laura - "
She can't help but smile. "I guess we should be on first-name terms after…" Roslin trails off. She squares her shoulders and tries to shift her mind to 'Professional' mode. "I'm sorry I let the situation get out-of-hand. I mean – I'd understand if you wanted to resign as my personal advisor - "
He reaches out and cups her face, gazing longingly into her eyes, then presses his lips to hers.
"I thought you regretted it," she whispers as they draw apart.
"Not for a second," he assures her and Roslin smiles with relief. "Can I stay?" Lee asks.
"We have to be careful…" she warns.
"I know," he agrees. "But I promise I'll leave early in the morning, no one will see me."
Laura nods and he grins, their lips meet and they find their way to her bed.
In the early hours, they stand in the middle of her room. His hands on her hips, hers about his neck. Their foreheads pressed together. They're saying goodbye but the prospect of separation seems unthinkable. She wants to fly away with him, soar above responsibility and consequence; leave behind everyone else's expectations.
"I have to go – " he whispers.
Laura nods. "Back to reality," she mutters.
Lee kisses her goodbye and starts towards the door, looks over his shoulder and gives a small wave of his hand. She waves back, grinning like a love-struck schoolgirl: he makes her feel unconstrained, untainted by life's recent traumas. When he leaves, he closes the curtain behind him and her heart stops for a moment; he's out of view and she wants him back, wants to bind him to her.
oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
When Billy arrives for her in the morning, she's ready and wearing a broad grin.
"Good morning," he greets.
"Yes it is!" she says cheerily.
They walk to the conference room and she's teasing him about his forthcoming date with Dualla. When they reach their destination, Lee Adama is already seated at a desk, he looks up as they enter the conference room and immediately smiles at the President.
"Good morning, Ma'am," he says warmly.
"Good morning Captain Apollo," she says sweetly as she takes the seat beside him.
Billy pulls the summit files from his briefcase and sets them down on the desk in front of Roslin; she's positively glowing and Billy can tell from her mood that it's going to be a good day.
The End