Chapter 2

William Adama came awake slowly. For the first time in what felt like forever this process was not associated with intense pain, just a dull ache in his gut. He blinked a few times as his eyes adjusted to the dim light. He turned to his right but the chair by his bed was empty. His memory of the time since he had been shot was hazy at best, but the one thing that he did remember was that every time he had awoken before now his son had been sitting in that chair. He remembered that he had finally had a heart to heart conversation with his boy.

"Lee?"

"He's not here right now" said a familiar voice to his other side. He turned slowly to see Kara Thrace sitting on the other side of his bed with tears streaming down her face.

"Do I look that bad?"

"No" she snivelled "It's just, I'm very glad to see you, sir" her voice came out all squeaky through the tears. She coughed to clear her throat, sniffed and wiped her sleeve across her face to dry it. The commander thought she looked about twelve. She also had a couple of the biggest shiners he'd ever seen.

"I see you had some fun on your little trip. When did you get back?"

"A few hours ago."

"Did you get it?"

"Yes I did. You know I always like to successfully complete my missions" she replied with the ghost of a smile. "I also found Helo sir, and…and another Boomer." She didn't really want to remind him of Boomer right at the moment but it had to be said. He just nodded

"There was bound to be more of them." After a few moments of silence the commander asked about his son

"Where's Lee?"

"He's organising the mission to Kobol, sir, to rescue the team down there. With you here and the XO in charge of the ship, that leaves Lee as the highest executive officer. They tell me that he wouldn't leave you at all before now, even took on a couple of marines when they tried to take him to the brig, which I really wished I'd seen, but now you're out of danger and I've brought the arrow back, Colonel Tigh wouldn't let him put off getting back to work any longer"

"Quite right. He is still the CAG after all"

"Is he? I understand there was a question of mutiny, sir" Kara would have given her eye teeth to have seen Lee pull that gun on Tigh. Who would have thought that the Captain with the rule book shoved up his ass would have done anything so magnificently outrageous.

"We've all done a few questionable things in the stress of the last weeks"

Kara decided to leave it at that. It sounded like the commander at least was prepared to forget Lee's actions on Colonial One, although whether the same could be said for Tigh, only time would tell. There was also the matter of her own recent fall from grace (yet again!) that she needed to straighten out. She took a deep breath. He looked so tired and gaunt that she knew she shouldn't bring this up now, but she had to make it right between them again.

"I'm really, really sorry, sir. I…I wasn't thinking straight when I left, and I had no idea my leaving would frak things up so badly here. I had a lot of time to think about it on the way back here and I understand now why you said what you did about earth. I know I should have taken that time to think before going off and doing something so stupid. I should have trusted you more"

"Shh, let's not talk about that now. There were mistakes on both sides in this case. We all do and say things we regret. I don't regret giving people the hope of earth, but I do regret not realising how serious the president was about getting the arrow and I also regret over-reacting to your leaving and sending the troops onto Colonial One. But you can't let these things rule you, you just have to learn from them, let them go and move on." He reached out and she took his hand. She held it tightly as if by doing so she could transfer some of her strength to him. She laid her cheek onto their joined hands. He lay back and closed his eyes, drinking in the comfort that her presence always brought him. He knew that he shouldn't let her get off so lightly, but in truth he could never stay angry with her for long and in his present circumstances it just didn't seem worthwhile to prolong any estrangement. He knew she was full of remorse, not for what she had done, but for what she had done to him. He understood her so much better than his own son and right now he needed the uncomplicated father-daughter-like love that they shared. He let the silence that enveloped them both wash over him and each one was once again at peace with the other.