Chapter 19
Gaius Baltar rolled his eyes when the phone rang in his lab. First the damn alert had been declared, forcing Gaius to halt his work and lock down the lab. Then just as the alert was cancelled, the bloody phone started ringing. "How do they expect me to get any work done around here?" he griped. He snatched up the handset and in a mockingly chipper voice, he said, "You have reached the laboratory of Doctor Gaius Baltar. The doctor is very busy right now and likely to remain so for the next 60 years. So if this is an emergency, speak up now. If not, hang up."
Gaius listened to the voice on the other end of the line and after just a few seconds he winced sharply. "Commander Adama! Yes, of course I always have time for you. How may I be of service this afternoon?"
"Careful Gaius," a dulcet-toned woman's voice whispered into his ear.
"The brig?" Gaius asked into the phone. "You um... you need me to report to the brig? Might I ask why?"
"Maybe he wants to lock you up for attempted murder, but that's just a thought."
Ignoring the woman's voice, and the warm brush of her breath against the back of his neck, Baltar replied, "Secrecy... yes, or course. I understand. I'll be right there."
"Trouble Gaius?"
Gaius cleared his throat nervously, trying not to overreact. "Trouble? How could there be?"
"Oh, I don't know. Somebody suspects something, perhaps?"
His eyes shifted toward the door, half-expecting to see a squad of marines arriving to arrest him, but there was none. "The commander called... and asked me to come down to the brig. He doesn't suspect anything. He just wants my expertise. That's all. Perhaps Frosty is being difficult and they want to schedule him for a lobotomy. I am the Cylon expert, after all."
"Yes you are. Nobody knows more about the Cylons than you. If only they knew how much you knew."
He tried to ignore the tickle of a woman's fingertips running along his jaw as he removed his lab coat. As though to convince himself, he said, "They only want my expertise, nothing more. Nothing to worry about. Nothing at all."
As he crossed the threshold of his lab and started to wind his way toward the brig, he heard the whisper again, "Careful, Gaius."
"There's nothing to worry about. There's nothing to worry about," he muttered to himself. When he'd first come aboard Galactica, the crew had given him odd looks when they passed him in the hallways talking to himself. Now, months later, they didn't even bother to notice. Everyone just chalked it up to the madness of genius.
Gaius had just about talked himself into feeling completely confident and safe again when he stepped into view of the main entrance to the brig... and saw Captain Lee Adama stalking straight towards him. Gaius stopped dead in his tracks. The captain had full-on, fire-breathing, murderous intent flaming behind his eyes. "I'm dead," Gaius thought, recoiling a few steps from the infuriated warrior. Then the captain shouldered his way past Gaius and continued down the hallway.
Baltar took a deep, long breath and gathered himself together, reassured once again that he had nothing to worry about. After all, the enraged captain had utterly ignored him. He continued forward into the brig. He suddenly realized that what he was observing was a crime scene. Two corpses were being zipped into body bags. He only briefly glimpsed their faces.
"Frosty and Stinger?" he asked out loud in surprise.
"Be careful, Gaius."
At the sound of Baltar's voice, Commander Adama turned away from Sergeant Hadrian and faced the doctor. He looked almost as angry as the younger Adama had, but not quite... thank goodness. "Wh-what happened here Commander? How did they die?"
"Most likely it was andropine poisoning," the commander said gruffly. "The autopsy will confirm that."
"A-andropine?" Gaius' eyes flashed toward a paramedic inside one of the holding cells who was in the process of dropping a Red Needle into a small plastic bag. The safety cap on the Needle was gone, exposing the lethal point. A second Red Needle was already in the bag and it too had the needle point exposed. "Oh... I see. Two um... two Red Needles. Interesting. That's very interesting."
"It's a warning."
"A warning?" he asked.
"Excuse me?" the commander inquired.
"A warning," Baltar quickly repeated. "Are you going to issue a warning to the crew... about this?"
The commander's scowl deepened. "The crew will be informed to whatever extent I deem appropriate, but that's not your concern. You're the resident Cylon expert. I want you to assist Doctor Cottle with the autopsy on Lieutenant Mullins."
"Somebody knows, Gaius."
Baltar blinked, trying to ignore the comment that had been whispered into his ear. "Yes, of course," the doctor replied to the commander. "Though if you recall, the autopsy on the Leoben model revealed very little."
"Do it anyway," the commander said crossly. "And you are not to discuss this matter with anyone."
Baltar nodded vigorously. "Of course, of course. Not a word. I completely understand. I will coordinate with Doctor Cottle."
The commander didn't bother dismissing the doctor. He just turned his attention elsewhere. Baltar watched for a few more seconds while the body bags were hoisted onto gurneys for transport to the morgue, then he stepped as inconspicuously from the brig as possible. Once he was clear of the investigating crowd he hurried straight back to his lab. Arriving at the lab, he pulled the hatch shut from the inside and spun the lock. No interruptions. He stood by the door for a few seconds, gathering himself. Then he walked to the far end of his lab and pulled open a drawer. Inside were boxes of sterile blood collection tubes and needles... and that was all. He looked around inside the drawer. He pulled on the drawer to make sure it was open as far as it would go and shuffled the contents around inside.
"Looking for something Gaius?"
Gaius straightened up, looking worried. "They're missing. I'm positive this is where I put them... but now they're missing."
"Missing? No, I don't think so. I think you know precisely where those two Red Needles are right now. Labeled... as... evidence."
"Yes," he said quietly. "Someone... took them... and..." Then the concern vanished from his face and he gradually began to smile. "Yes," he said brightly.
"Why are you smiling? Somebody knows Gaius!"
"No no," he said. "At most... somebody may suspect. That's all." Baltar was grinning quite contentedly now. "Whether or not they intended it... someone has just done me quite a favor. I only ever dealt with Frosty and he is no longer even a potential liability, not that he was ever much of a threat to begin with."
"What if he talked before he died?"
"What if he did?" Baltar shrugged casually. "No one is going to believe the word of a Cylon over that of the Vice President."
"It's a good thing he turned out to be a Cylon."
"Yes, isn't it?" Baltar grinned smugly. "But even if he did manage to be a nuisance at the end and raise a few suspicions with whoever killed him, that person can't very well announce those suspicious without raising a red flag over themselves, now can they? And now thanks to them, I am completely in the clear."
"What about the Holt woman on the Geminon Traveler?"
Baltar tossed a dismissive hand. "What about her? All she knows is that she talked to someone who said his name was Stinger."
The woman's voice became less seductive and sterner. "I still think you need to be careful Gaius. After all, you're apparently not the only one on board who's willing to be a little ruthless."
"Dead?" Laura Roslin asked incredulously. "Both of them?"
"Yes," William Adama grimly replied.
Laura raised her eyes to the ceiling of the commander's quarters and shook her head. "When? When did this happen? How did this happen?"
William finished pouring himself a glass of water. "It was during the fire in the starboard pod while the ship was under Condition One status. The brig was in lockdown, but due to our extreme shortage of personnel the marine guards now have to assume alternate stations when we're on alert. The prisoners weren't discovered to be dead until after I declared a stand down. It... appears to have been suicide."
Laura grimaced sharply. "Let me guess. Red Needles." It wasn't even a question.
Adama gave the President an ironic smirk. "That's right," he said.
She ran her hands over her face and groaned. "So how did it happen? Where did the needles come from?"
The commander answered, "Their Needles came up missing from their Vipers a few days ago. It's possible they've had them in their possession all along. The Needles are small enough that they're very easy to conceal."
Laura looked at the commander knowingly. "You don't really buy into that, do you?"
Adama shook his head. "No, I don't." He held out an extra glass of water toward Laura. She hadn't asked for one, but she accepted it with a polite smile.
Laura took a drink, then questioned the commander, "And of course there are no surveillance cameras to tell us if someone entered the brig during that time?" It wasn't really a question. Laura knew the answer. She'd spent many hours in the brig herself.
Adama's voice held just a hint of defensiveness when he replied, "That kind of system would require equipment to be networked. We have no networks on Galactica."
"I know," she said evenly. "But it appears that someone has exploited that fact for their own ill purposes, and you can bet it will happen again."
The commander told the President sternly, "Need I remind you that the absence of networks on this ship is the reason that we are all still breathing?"
"You needn't remind me Commander," Roslin declared. "I am very aware of that fact. I'm merely saying that if they find a way to get away with it once... they'll do it twice. This is, after all, the second time this kind of thing has happened."
"Second time?"
"Yes," Laura stressed. "This is the second time that an alleged assassin with potential ties to Tom Zarek has turned up dead... of apparent suicide... while in military custody... before Zarek could be positively implicated. First Valance..."
"And now Karo and Mullins," Adama admitted reluctantly.
"Zarek has an insider amongst your people," Roslin said bluntly.
"Not just an insider," Adama said darkly. "A murderer." He scowled and took a long drink, almost draining his glass.
Laura shifted her hand back and forth, swirling the water around inside her own glass. She pondered out loud, "Do you think Captain Apollo is still in danger?"
"I wish I knew," Adama said, setting his glass down on the sofa table. "Zarek went to a lot of trouble to make it look like suicide, and then to cover his tracks when Lee survived. He has his eyes on the Presidency. If anything happens to Lee now, he couldn't possibly escape being implicated, which is exactly what he doesn't want and why Frosty and Stinger are now dead."
"He won't escape it this time," Roslin said determinedly. "Whether we can press charges or not, there's already enough fodder for rumors and suspicion that could ruin any campaign."
Adama grinned wryly at the President. "Planning your own campaign strategy Madame President?"
Laura smiled back. "If you only knew," she thought. "I probably won't live to see Election Day." Out loud, she said, "I will not allow that man to be elected President."
Adama offered her a smile. "We're in agreement on that," he said. "I'll personally kill the son-of-a-bitch first," he thought.
"How is Apollo handling all this?" she asked.
Adama frowned. "It would be a bit of an understatement to say that he's disappointed. After viewing the crime scene he went and ran 20 laps around the ship like he had a demon on his heels then declared that he needed a workout. I pity anybody who agrees to spar with him this evening."
Laura smiled. "I take it that you're not going to volunteer."
"I'm not crazy. Beside, I hope to have other plans this evening." His expression grew more contemplative and he removed his glasses. "Madame President, I didn't just ask you to come over here so that I could tell you about Mullins and Karo. I certainly didn't want to have that conversation transmitted over the wireless, but I also have ulterior motives."
"All right," Laura said warily. "I'm bracing myself. Go ahead."
"I wanted to thank you," Adama said sincerely. Ignoring the surprise on her face, he told her, "You were the one who took action on Lee's behalf long before anyone else. It was your suspicions and instincts that ultimately led us to the perpetrators. And if you hadn't invited Lee to Colonial One... well he wouldn't have asked for my help and that would have put him right back into immediate contact with Mullins and Karo before we were aware of the danger and before Lee was even capable of defending himself. The fact is that you may very well have saved his life. I will always owe you for that. Thank you."
Laura bit back a smile. "Not to sound petulant, but the fact is that I didn't do it for you."
"I know," he said. "But I'm still grateful."
She inclined her head graciously. "You're welcome." She giggled over how awkwardly those words were spoken. Then she gave him a knowing look. "You really don't have any need to feel threatened you know."
"Threatened?"
She nodded. "You are his father, the only one he'll ever have. And although he misses his mother deeply, he knows I'm not her, and I'm not trying to replace her. I would fail miserably if I did. He has no illusions about who I am."
William asked very thoughtfully, "Has Lee spoken to you about her?"
"Some, yes."
William lowered his head and rubbed at his eyes. "Then apparently you're ahead of me in that matter as well."
"That's easily remedied, you know."
Adama chuckled. "You're not the first person who's told me that recently, but 'easy' has never been a word that could describe my relationship with Lee."
Roslin grinned broadly, remembering some wise advice that she herself had received not long ago. "Maybe you just need more practice," she suggested. "He does love you. If you'd seen him in those hours after you were shot, you wouldn't have any doubt about that. But I think he's just as uncertain about how to communicate with you as you are with him."
William settled his glasses back into place. "Practice huh?"
"Sometimes it does make perfect."
After a brief hesitation, William asked, "And what about us?"
"Us?" she asked uncertainly.
"We have a bit of a history with poor communication ourselves," he said. Laura responded with an agreeable smirk, so Adama asked her, "Would you care to dine with me here this evening?"
"Dinner?" She appeared at first surprised, then amused. "Hmm. Well, the last time I had dinner here with you it was an interesting evening."
William laughed. "Ellen is not invited this time."
"Just the two of us?"
"That's right."
"Do you think we can manage it without bloodshed?"
"Practice makes perfect."
Kara walked into the gymnasium and shook her head. "Lee... for crying out loud, give it a rest!"
Lee looked exhausted and he was dripping with sweat from head to toe, yet he didn't show any sign of slowing down. He threw another a hard right hand squarely into the punching bag, keeping it swinging on the chain. Kara boldly walked up and grabbed the bag, stopping its motion.
"Do you have any idea how long you've been at this?" she asked him.
"Not long enough," he growled, delivering another solid right hook.
"Take a break Lee," she told him. "At least get some dinner."
"Not hungry," he panted, throwing another series of punches.
Kara flinched from the impact of the bag. "You have to be," she told him. "You've burned at least a week's worth of calories since you came in here."
Lee took only a brief pause to shake the sweat out of his eyes. "I'd still rather hit something than eat."
Kara jerked back from another blow against the bag. She tried to reason with him. "You could keep hitting even harder and longer if you were stop and eat for a few minutes." By way of response, Lee hauled off and socked the bag with a punch that forced Kara to let go and jump out of the way. "Okay... then again, if you hit any harder you could damage the bulkhead."
Lee followed up that last punch with a series of left jabs. After the third jab he winced and stepped back, shaking his left hand. Cottle had reluctantly cleared Lee for flight, but the fact was the Lee's hand was still not fully healed and after all the abuse with the punching bag his hand was really getting sore.
His reaction did not escape Kara's notice. "If you keep this up, you're going drop yourself right back to light-duty, Lee."
"Why should that bother you?" Lee growled. "I could still do the paperwork."
Kara smirked. "And what about the flight coverage, you big dipstick? No wait... that's not right. My mistake. You're not a dipstick. You're a dorkweed who has a big dipstick."
Lee had been just about to throw another punch, but balked and choked on a laugh instead. "Don't do that Kara," he groaned.
"Don't do what?" she asked innocently, knowing full well she was getting through to him now.
"Don't make me laugh," he said through gritted teeth. "I don't want to laugh right now. I'm too frakking mad."
"Well I don't want you messing up your hand," she told him sternly. "So don't make me haul out the water hose mister! I'll find myself a high-powered nozzle and I know how to use it!"
His momentum hopelessly lost now, Lee threw up his hands in surrender. With a groan he slumped down onto a weight bench and sat forward with his elbows resting on his knees. Kara grabbed his towel from the corner of the room and walked over to him. She dropped the towel over his head and then she sat down on the bench next to him. Lee had to shrug the towel out of the way since his hands were still bound up in his boxing gloves.
Kara nudged him in the ribs with her elbow. "If you're still feeling wound up after dinner, I'll chase your ass around the ship a few times. How's that?"
Lee was still getting his breath back when he replied, "I do know you're only offering because you missed your morning run the last two days. Besides, I'm in the mood to fight, not run."
Kara grinned. "I heard you already went 10 laps."
"Twenty," he corrected her. "And it didn't help."
"Well apparently the boxing gloves haven't quite done the job either," she teased.
"Only because I have to use a punching bag instead of a person," he grumbled. "Of course if you're willing to volunteer on that...?"
She gave the pretense of thinking it over. "Hmmm. Tempting... but nah. I'm more of a bare-knuckles kind of fighter myself. But if you really want me to... I'll let you tackle me after another ten laps."
Lee tweaked an eyebrow and looked at her sideways. "Once again... most women would mean that as an offer of sex, but from you I know it means a black eye."
Kara shrugged. "I'll go easy on you."
"You'll go easy on me?"
"It's not like your tackling skills are anything to be intimidated about," she teased with a wink. Kara knew that wasn't really true. Lee had played a mean game of groundball during his school days.
Lee just shook his head. Then he caught the end of his glove laces between his teeth and pulled it loose enough to work open the ties. He chuckled. "Zak never told you, did he?"
"Told me what?"
"Do you remember when he came back from mid-term break during his second year... hobbling with a bad back?"
Kara thought back, then nodded. "Yeah. He said he took a tumble while he was trail-biking."
"He was lyin' his little ass off," Lee said smugly.
"Oh?" Kara was intrigued now. "How's that?"
Lee pulled off one glove and started working on the other. "I body slammed the little bugger," Lee chuckled. "But he had it coming."
Kara waited for Lee to for say more, but when he didn't, she poked him in the ribs. "Well...? Spill it Adama! What happened?"
Lee pulled off his other glove and stood up. "You know, you're right. I am hungry," he said, deliberately avoiding her question.
"Hey!" she protested. "No way are you getting off without telling me what happened! You've got five minutes to shower and not a second more!"
Half an hour later, Kara and Lee were seated in a corner in the officer's mess picking at their food between fits of laughter. Kara had been relentless in her pursuit of this story about brotherly body-slams, so Lee finally had no choice other than to confess the whole tale.
"I should never have mentioned this," Lee grumbled, swallowing a quick bite.
"Too late now," Kara ribbed him. "So you're hiding behind the planter, out of sight and waiting for the taxi... and...?"
"And... the taxi finally pulls up and he stops... right... under... the streetlight."
Kara giggled. "Naturally."
"So, to get to the cab, I have to step out... right... under... the streetlight. The driver takes one look at me and I swear he just about ran for his life."
Kara leered at Lee. "Obviously this driver was a man."
Lee said, "I had to beg him not to just drive off and leave me. 'No, no please! I'm not a lunatic! I just have a very annoying brother with a twisted sense of humor! We were at the beach and he swiped my clothes and drove off. It's just a stupid prank!'"
Kara was grinning from ear to ear. "I can't believe Zak never told me about this one."
Lee took another quick bite. "So I at least persuade the guy that I'm not dangerous, all right? And I show him that I do have my wallet even if Zak did take everything else. So, I can pay the cab fare. You'd think that's all the driver would care about, right?" Lee frowned dramatically and shook his head.
Kara took a bite out of a cold biscuit, not even noticing anymore that it was tasteless. This story was just too damn amusing. "So, what was his problem?"
Lee sighed. "He looks at me and shakes his head. And in this very thick Southern-Virgon accent, he says, 'No, no, no! No naked people in cab!'"
Lee's impression of the cab driver's accent cracked Kara up. "Oh Gods!"
"So I start begging with the guy again, telling him, 'Please! My brother left me stranded like this. I have no other way to get home. I'll pay you extra!' And he looks at me like he's just about to refuse, but instead he says, 'Okay but you ride in trunk!'"
Kara's eyes bugged and she cracked up again. "In the trunk? Oh Lords Lee, you didn't!"
Lee rolled his eyes.
"You did!"
Lee fixed Kara with a humorous gaze. "I did mention earlier what happens after 4 or 5 Trojan Shooters, didn't I? You get very..."
"Stupid," she finished for him.
"Exactly!" Lee confirmed. "So... I climbed into the trunk. Of course it didn't occur to me until I was in there and he slammed the lid shut on me that not only are there no safety belts in the trunk, there isn't any cushioning either. So I'm trying to hold on for dear life inside the trunk of this careening taxi cab, in the middle of the night, stark naked... and there isn't anything to hold on to!"
Kara was laughing so hard now she could barely breathe. "Oh my Gods, Lee!"
"So the cab finally comes to a stop and I hear the engine shut off. And I'm thinking, 'Well I survived, but now I have to get into the house before the neighbors call the police.' Fortunately, I had three factors working in my favor. First, it was the middle of the night, so nobody was watching."
"What a shame," Kara teased.
"Second, I knew damn well Zak was waiting up to witness the final stages of this humiliation. And third... I'm a very fast runner."
Kara's sides were absolutely hurting by now. She didn't know how much more of this she could take.
"So I pay the driver... double his fare... climb out of the trunk... and book it for the door! I'm about half way up the walkway when the front door flies open... and there's Zak... with a camera."
Kara gaped in disbelief. "Zak even had photographic evidence of this? And he never told me!"
"I didn't even break stride," Lee told her. "I just plowed through the door and smashed the little bugger right to the ground!" Lee slapped his hand against the tabletop in demonstration of the impact. "My coach would have been so proud! And that is why the twit still couldn't walk fully upright when he got back to school 3 days later."
When Kara could finally catch her breath again she gave Lee a sly wink. "And I bet you've never gone skinny dipping again, have you?"
Lee chuckled, blushing just slightly. "No I haven't," he admitted.
"And the Trojan Shooters?"
"Never more than two," Lee grinned.
Kara smirked. "We'll see about that... now that I know exactly how many it takes to get you to ditch your clothes."
Lee raised one eyebrow. "Kara... we're roommates. You see me without my clothes all the time."
"But I've never seen you both naked and stupid at the same time. Apparently it's quite a party." Kara was getting a huge kick out of the blush that still lingered on Lee's cheeks. She shoved her dinner tray aside and rested her elbows on the table with her chin on one hand. "I just can't believe that Zak never told me about this. I understand you not advertising it, but Zak? I would have thought he'd be bragging about it at every opportunity."
Lee shrugged and leaned his own arms on the table. "Maybe he didn't want to give you ideas. Maybe he hoped to try pulling it on you someday."
She squinted her eyes. "He wouldn't have dared. He knew damn well I would have killed him."
After a few seconds, Kara's words came back at her and she flinched. All traces of amusement vanished from her face. "Frak," she winced, turning her head away from Lee.
"Kara, don't do that," Lee said gently.
"Nobody ruins a fun conversation like I do," she scoffed at herself.
"You didn't ruin anything," Lee told her.
Kara visibly struggled with her guilt for several more seconds before she was able to face Lee again. "Lee... why did you forgive me?" she asked quietly.
"Which time?" he teased.
"You know what I mean," she said. "When I finally confessed to you about Zak... why did you forgive me? You were furious at your father for two frakking years!"
"Well, you did save my life a few hours later," Lee told her. "That kind of thing can be endearing." His demeanor turned more serious then. "Besides, you wanted to be forgiven for what you did. Dad didn't. He never even acknowledged that he ever made a mistake. It's hard to forgive someone who doesn't want to be."
With a trace of mischief returning to her face, Kara asked, "So I can keep screwing up and as long as I say that I'm sorry, we're okay?"
"Don't push it Thrace," Lee said. A few seconds later he mimicked her voice and said, "I'm trying to do better, Lee. I really am."
Kara chucked her soiled napkin at Lee's face. "Baby steps Adama."
Lee caught the napkin and tossed it right back. "Baby steps," he scoffed. "You're crawling!"
Kara attempted an equally quick turnaround on the napkin, but missed Lee entirely and tagged the person who happened to be walking behind Lee at the wrong moment. Doctor Cottle looked down at his food tray, which now had Kara's dirty napkin draped across the top. She stifled back a burst of laughter. "Sorry Doc," she managed to choke out.
Cottle frowned at her and lifted the napkin up by one corner. "That's all right Lieutenant. I'll just make sure that my hands are extra cold when it's time for your next exam."
"I'll score you another pack of cigarettes, okay?" she offered.
Cottle cleared his throat. "That won't be necessary. Like I told you before, I've had to give them up."
Kara looked surprised. "But... wait... I just gave you a whole case about a week ago. You can't possibly have gone through them all already."
"No," Cottle said wistfully.
"Then why have you given them up?" Kara asked.
"Because I don't enjoy kissing an ashtray," Doctor Marsh declared stepping up beside Doctor Cottle with her own food tray in hand. "Hello Lee," she said sweetly.
"Uh... Hello Doctor," Lee replied. He struggled to keep the astonishment from his face but didn't have much luck.
"Well, you kids have fun," Doctor Marsh said to Lee and Kara, sounding like a grandmother who was sending the children off to the playground. Then she fixed Doctor Cottle with direct gaze and inclined her head toward an empty table. "This way, Hot Stuff." Cottle offered the pilots a devilish grin and followed after her.
Lee turned back toward Kara, straining to keep his mouth closed against an outburst of hilarity. It took several seconds before he had mastered control of himself. "Oh... my... Gods," he whispered.
Kara too was fighting to stifle down her reaction. "Well well well. Bet you didn't know you were a matchmaker, did you? I wonder what their kids will be like."
Lee choked back his laugh and had to hold his breath. He swallowed hard. "We have to get out of here or I'm going to lose it," he croaked.
Even after they'd left the officer's mess Lee was still shaking his head in amused disbelief. Doctor Cottle and Doctor Marsh. What a pairing! It was both perfect... and frightening. Then his eyes fell on Kara walking beside him and he felt that familiar and confusing flutter in his stomach. Yep. Both perfect and frightening... but more important was that in this case it was completely impossible.
The military rules governing fraternization forbade anything more than a congenial working relationship between them. Lee was Kara's boss and any form of relationship that might compromise or even give the appearance of compromising his impartiality on the job was a violation of military law. The closeness of their friendship was already pushing the legal boundaries. So, in spite of the tug upon his heart that Lee couldn't deny he sometimes felt in her presence, there could not be anything more between them than what they already had.
Perhaps the rules would be changed one day, or perhaps humanity would succeed in evading the Cylons and one or both of them might be able to separate from the military, making the fraternization rules irrelevant. Then perhaps...? Lee shook that thought from his mind, however, for he knew it to be a waste of time. Whatever thoughts he might have along those lines, he knew that Kara did not share them. She had proved that fact to him back on Colonial Day. Lee scoffed at himself silently, recalling his arrogance that evening, when he'd thought for a short while that she might have "cleaned up" just for him. She had looked absolutely drop-dead gorgeous in that figure-hugging blue dress, and the few minutes that he'd spent with her on the dance floor were damn near intoxicating. But then, Doctor Gaius Baltar had smoothly cut in and Kara had spent the rest of the night dancing, drinking, partying... and finally frakking... with the Vice President.
Lee hadn't been prepared at all for the surge of jealousy he'd felt the next day when he figured out where she'd spent the night. But he knew now that he was out of line when he'd angrily confronted her about it. She had always been a "free" spirit and he knew damn well she'd left a long trail of casual lovers in her wake over the years. If Lee had been foolish enough to let himself think that she was going to change her ways just for him, that was his own damn fault, not hers. She could drink and frak with whomever she wanted. Kara had never made him any promises, nor even implied that she might. He had no claim on her heart. He knew he never would. She just didn't seem him that way. The only man who had ever claimed her heart was Zak... and Lee knew he was nothing like his younger brother.
"So have you made up your mind?" Kara asked him.
"Huh?" Lee was taken off guard by her question.
"Well, is it going to be 10 laps... or fisticuffs?" she asked.
Lee smiled, abandoning his pointless musings for the reality of the moment. "How about neither?"
"Not in a mood to fight any more?" she teased him.
"Not any more," he said quietly. Of course he couldn't tell her what activity was actually occupying his thoughts at the moment. He wasn't looking to acquire a black eye and that would have been the inevitable outcome. As a safer alternative, he suggested, "How about a card game in the rec room?"
Kara snickered. "You know I haven't played in a while... not since the night you were attacked."
"Neither have I."
"Sounds like we're both due then, huh?"
"Yeah... only don't expect me take it easy on you this time."
"Oh, bring it on!"
Lee managed to do just slightly better than break even, while Kara dramatically enlarged her holdings at the expense of the other players. It was almost 23:00 hours when he declared that he was done for the night. He'd intended to be turned in to his rack by that time, but he was thoroughly enjoying the evening in spite of how gods-awfully the day had started.
"That's all for me tonight," he told the group, gathering his gambling stake from the table.
"You're not going to leave your money behind this time Captain?" Helo joked.
Lee gave him a playfully sour eye. "No, and I'll even be taking some of yours with me. Goodnight everybody."
Kara suddenly turned it in too. "Well seeing as how the only competitive stake at the table is now leaving, I guess that ends the night for me too." They left the rec room together and wound around through the hallways toward officers' quarters.
"You didn't have to call it a night just because I did," Lee told her.
Kara shrugged. "With what little they had left it wouldn't have been much of a game. Besides, I hear the CAG is a real stickler for being on time at roll-call and I don't want to piss him off."
As they approached quarters, Lee asked her, "And it wouldn't have anything to do with not wanting to head back to quarters alone would it?"
"Why would that be a problem?" she asked flatly.
"You haven't slept in your own rack in two weeks, Kara." He gently nudged her arm. "You don't have to go back there tonight if you don't want to."
Kara stopped walking, her face looking pensive. "Are you sleeping in your own rack tonight?"
Lee nodded. "I'm going to try."
Kara nodded her own head. "Okay. Then I will too."
Kara did hang back a little when they reached the hatch to their shared room. She let Lee pull the hatch open and followed him inside. The room felt unnaturally quiet. With the loss of Frosty and Stinger, all of their roommates were gone. Kara looked around at all of the empty racks. "You know," she said quietly, "this room is going to get a reputation for being cursed. We're the only ones quartered in here who haven't died."
"Actually, you're the only one," Lee said, sounding remarkably glib.
Kara turned haunted eyes toward Lee. "Frak," she breathed. "That's just too damn creepy."
"Kara, you don't have to stay in here," Lee said gently. "In fact, maybe you shouldn't."
"Because if I stay in here it'll be my turn to die next?" She laughed in fear-tinged giddiness.
"No, because just being in here makes you think like that." He put a hand on her shoulder. "Come on. Let's just move you down to Helo's room. They're used to having you there anyway."
"No," she said, shaking her head. "I'll be fine Lee. Besides I can't let you have a room all to yourself. You'll start getting spoiled."
She turned away from Lee and yanked open her locker door. Kara did still feel uneasy, but she was tired of cowering like a little girl from the imaginary monsters under her bed. She wasn't going to run away again. If Lee could face what happened in here, then so could she. "Except he doesn't even remember it and I do," she thought moodily. She heard him pull open his own locker and frowned, wishing that he was having just a little bit harder of a time with it all than he was.
"Oh frak!" she heard him gasp.
Kara turned around just in time to see the color drain out of Lee's face. He looked like he was having trouble breathing. "Lee?" She dodged around the table at the center of the room and grabbed for his arm. He was shaking. "Sit down," she urged him, convinced that he was about to faint. Hanging on to him with one hand she pulled a chair out from the table with the other. He dropped into it heavily and rested his head in his hands.
"Lee? Talk to me right now or I'm calling for a medic," she told him. When he didn't say anything she started to bolt for the door and the nearest phone, but he grabbed her hand before she could move away.
"N-no, don't," he whispered. "I'm okay."
"Like hell you are," she said.
"I'm okay," he insisted more strongly. "I'm just... I remember."
Kara wasn't sure whether to smile or cry at that news. "All of it?" she asked, squeezing his hand.
He nodded. In a shaky voice, he told her, "Everything. It just all came back."
ooooooooooooooooooo
Lee found his way back to his quarters more by instinct than intent. He couldn't remember ever feeling more drained in his life. There were times when he'd been more physically exhausted, but this was just as much a mental weariness as a bodily on. Dad would be back on the job in the morning, thank the Lords. Lee could finally shrug off those duties at least. He could go back to being just the CAG.
"Yeah, right," Lee grumbled wearily. "That'll last just until someone gets fed up with the Colonel again and brings their crap to me instead. I give it two weeks... one, if Ellen gets her hands on another bottle of ambrosia."
Approaching his quarters, he rubbed his face tiredly and yawned. Six whole hours of sleep tonight! Gods, he was looking forward to that! He hadn't slept that long since... well, since before Kara deserted the fleet and his father had been shot. It almost seemed like a lifetime ago. So much had changed since then. Everything had changed.
Lee pulled open the hatch and stepped inside. Frosty and Stinger were still up, seated at the center table playing a game of cards. That surprised Lee. He knew they had the early shift and had expected to see them already asleep. They exchanged polite smiles with him when he walked inside, then they turned back to their game. Lee walked over to his locker.
Behind Lee, Frosty asked him, "Is the party in the rec room breaking up Captain?"
Lee began unbuttoning his shirt, fumbling a bit in his weariness. "Only for me fellas. I just hit my limits. Everybody else is still going strong."
"So... you came back alone? No one else is turning in yet?"
"Just me," Lee said. "Starbuck still has a few more victims to clean out before she's done." He heard the scrape of a chair on the floor behind him.
"Check the door Lou," Lee heard Frosty say.
"What? Now?" Stinger asked.
"Now," Frosty said in a sterner tone.
"But... Frosty..." Stinger said, sounding strangely nervous.
"Lou, we talked about this," Frosty was saying. "Many times."
"I know but... frak it."
Lee heard another chair scrape on the floor. He knew his roommates were up and moving around, but he paid them no attention. He shrugged out of his sleeves and reached into his locker for a hanger.
"It's... it's all clear," Stinger said.
"Close it," Frosty said.
Lee heard the hatch clanging shut but didn't make any note of it.
"Frosty..." Stinger said anxiously. "Oh, frak."
"Captain?" Frosty spoke to Lee while standing just on the other side of his locker door.
Lee looked over at the big pilot. "What's up?" he asked.
"It's been an honor Sir," Frosty said. "I'm sorry it had to be this way. I truly am."
Confused, Lee asked, "What are you talking about?"
"Oh frak," Stinger said again, approaching Lee from the other side.
"It's nothing personal, Captain," Frosty told him. "I just wanted you to know that."
"What?" Lee asked, totally bewildered.
Frosty reached out and very deliberately closed Lee's locker door. Then with a pained, but friendly smile, he grabbed for Lee's right arm. It took barely a second. One of Frosty's large hands closed around Lee's right wrist, pulling his arm just slightly toward the big pilot while his other hand jabbed at Lee's forearm. Lee felt a sharp sting and reflexively pulled his arm back. Frosty released him immediately.
"What are you doing?" Lee asked, mystified over Frosty's odd behavior.
"Oh frak... frak, frak!" Stinger was whining.
Then Lee felt a chill spreading through his arm. It started as an odd tingling that went suddenly cold. He looked at his arm where he'd felt the sting and didn't see anything, but he knew he had been jabbed with something sharp. The chill spread with stunning swiftness and within seconds Lee felt his throat constricting and he couldn't catch his breath.
"What... what did you do to me?" he asked Frosty.
Frosty actually stepped forward with his arms outstretched, as though to embrace Lee. "Don't fight it Captain. It'll be over soon."
Lee felt a sudden panic envelope him and he tried to flee from Frosty, but his legs were already shaking. He barely managed to turn around before his knees were buckling. Frosty's massive arms caught him up around the chest, pinning Lee's arms to his sides. Lee tried to struggle, but he could barely even breathe. His efforts were easily overcome by the larger man constraining him. He looked up and saw Stinger standing there, watching. Stinger's face was distraught, but he just stood there.
"Sting..." was all that Lee was able to choke out. His head was reeling. He thrashed desperately to break Frosty's hold, but it was useless. His legs gave way. His mind was screaming, but his limbs and voice would not respond. He could feel his body shutting down with every second that ticked by. He saw Stinger's pained face hovering in front of him and heard Frosty's voice in his ear.
"Just let go Captain. Go easy. Just go easy. It won't be long now."
Lee's vision began to gray out. He was cold all over now. Completely cold.
ooooooooooooooooo
Lee lifted his head and found himself looking straight into Kara's hazel-brown eyes. He hadn't noticed when she had knelt down beside him, but she was still holding his hand. Her other hand was resting comfortingly on his back. He clutched at her hand.
"I couldn't fight back," he told her in a trembling voice. "I tried, but it all happened so fast."
"I know Lee," Kara said quietly.
"I couldn't even scream," he whispered.
Kara didn't say anything. She just held onto his hand and tried share the moment with him as much as she could.
In the faintest voice Kara had ever heard from Lee, he told her, "Stinger just stood there. He just watched. I tried to beg him to help me, but I couldn't say a word. So, he just watched."
Lee grimaced in pain and tears finally spilled from his eyes. Kara wrapped her arm around his shoulders and hugged him. He gathered himself together after only about a minute and sat upright. He wiped his face clear. "Frakking bastards," Lee said bitterly. "I trusted them. I trusted them both."
"Well," Kara said softly. "They got a taste of their own medicine. As much as we would've liked to get more information first, I'd say they faced fair retribution."
Lee nodded. "But that also means we still have someone on this ship who can't be trusted. Someone who knows the ins and outs around here pretty well. Setting diversionary fires, breaking into the brig, swiping Red Needles..." Lee's voice trailed off.
Kara winced. "Yeah. I kinda let the ball drop on that one. Those two Needles turned up missing days ago, but we didn't bother looking beyond this room. I should have followed up on that. We might have had Zarek by the balls by now."
Lee didn't reply. He had a very odd look on his face. He stood up from his chair suddenly and began looking through the top shelf in his locker.
"Lee, what is it?" Kara asked.
Lee stopped his search and closed his eyes. "Frak," he breathed softly.
Kara stood up and put her hand on his shoulder. "What is it?" she asked again. He turned around to face her. She still couldn't figure out his expression. He wasn't scared or angry. He almost looked... sad.
"I'm sorry Kara," he whispered.
Her eyebrows arched in surprise. "Sorry for what?"
"Putting you through all of this," he said simply.
Kara frowned at him. "Lee, you didn't cause this," she told him firmly.
"I might have," he said quietly.
"No," she said resolutely. "Lee, don't even start blaming yourself. You were attacked. You were betrayed and attacked."
He nodded, "Yeah, I was... but..."
She shook her head. "No. No buts." He surprised the heck out of her then when he reached a hand up and brushed his fingers across her cheek.
"I'm still sorry for what you went through," he told her. "But I promise you it won't happen again."
"Got that right," she said, trying to mask the electric effect that his fingers had on her just by the gentle way he touched her. "'Cause I'm looking out for you, Buddy."
He gave her a sad smile, and then withdrew his hand. "I have to talk to my father," he said.
"Sure," she said. "Of course. Do you want a referee?"
Lee grinned. "No. We need to do this one on our own."
The knock on the hatch surprised William enough that he actually jumped a bit in his chair. Then he laughed at himself. "That's what I get for reading mystery thrillers before bed," he chuckled. He set the book he'd been reading aside and removed his glasses to rub at his tired eyes. Then he pushed himself upright just as his visitor knocked again.
He glanced at the clock on his way toward the door and was surprised by how late it was. He hadn't intended to stay up reading for so long, but the book Laura had given him had really caught his interest. The late hour of the visit worried him. It had to mean there was something wrong. The last time he had received a late visitation was the night that Lee had nearly died.
At the hatch, he called out, "Who is it?"
The reply was, "It's Lee. Commander, I need to speak with you for a minute."
William spun the lock open, thinking that Lee was just about the last person he had expected to see. Now he was completely convinced that something had to be wrong. He had last seen Lee that afternoon, infuriated beyond words while staring at the bodies of Frosty and Stinger who were still "safely" locked inside of their cells. With their deaths, any trail back to the leader of the conspiracy... Tom Zarek in particular... was lost. The person ultimately responsible for trying to kill Lee was going to get away with it. William knew that after leaving the brig, Lee had gone racing laps around the ship before strapping on his boxing gloves for a workout. William had hoped that the exercise overload would ultimately succeeded in calming Lee down, but if Lee was knocking on his door this late, it didn't look promising.
Expecting that his son would be standing rigid and angry when he opened the door, William tried to brace himself. Instead, he was surprised to see Lee looking very somber. That started to worry William even more.
Lee's eyes took in his father's state of dress. The commander looked like he had just rolled out of bed. "I'm sorry to wake you Commander. I know it's late, but..."
William shook his head. "I wasn't asleep Captain. Come on in." He held the hatch open until Lee had stepped inside then pushed it closed again. Whatever was on Lee's mind, William didn't think it was something to share with whomever might be passing in the hallways. "Would you like some coffee? It'll only take a few minutes."
Lee declined. "No Sir. Thank you... but this shouldn't take long." He didn't mention that his hands were already shaking slightly and a cup of liquid caffeine wasn't likely to help.
"All right, well at least have a seat." William waved Lee toward the couch. Lee sat down, but William noticed that he didn't relax back against the cushions. He was sitting on the forward edge with his forearms on his knees and his hands clasped together. William sat down beside him, also sitting forward in an unconscious reflection of his son's posture. "So, what's on your mind Son?"
Lee met his father's eyes. "I remember," he said simply.
A poignant smile crept across William's lips. He nodded in understanding. It was a relief that Lee's memory was restored, but William had no doubt that the memories were painful. William's own similar experience still haunted him regularly.
"It all just came back to me a little while ago." Lee dropped his eyes to the floor and took an unsteady breath.
William noticed how tightly Lee was clasping his hands and he was obviously struggling for words to tell his father what had occurred, but William didn't want Lee to dredge it all up in detail just for his knowledge. To help put Lee at ease he said, "I'm not going to ask you to tell me all about it. All I really need to know is if there is something you remember that was totally unexpected... something that changes what we've assumed up till now. Was there another person involved or...?"
"No," Lee said. "It was just Frosty and Stinger. Mostly Frosty. Stinger was in on it and knew what was happening all along, but Frosty was the one who actually stuck me with the Red Needle... and he was the one who... He grabbed hold of me so that I couldn't..." Lee's voice caught in his throat.
In spite of William's effort to give Lee an out about retelling what had happened, Lee seemed to need to speak of it, at least in part. So, William just listened and let his son say what he needed to say.
"I couldn't fight back," Lee said anxiously. "I tried. I did! I tried to get away, but the poison worked so damn fast. By the time I realized that I was really in trouble... I could barely even stand. I couldn't even scream. I couldn't break away from Frosty... and Stinger... Stinger just stood there."
William had to struggle with a sudden urge of tears as he watched his son painfully recounting his own murder. William wished suddenly that Lee had never remembered. He wished that Frosty and Stinger were both still alive, so that William could go and kill them both with his bare hands. He wished that he had gone ahead and throttled Tom Zarek when he'd had the bastard cornered and alone on the Tantalus. Unfortunately, all of those wishes were pointless, so he just placed a hand on his son's shoulder and said, "It's all right Kiddo. You made it through."
Lee took a deep trembling breath then faced his father again. "Dad... there's something else. Something else came back to me that I didn't remember before." He paused briefly for another deep breath. "Frosty and Stinger didn't swipe the Red Needle from my Viper. They didn't have to. It was in my locker. Stinger probably found it there; he was such a snoop. That's probably what gave them the idea to use it on me."
William absorbed this new piece of information with a sympathetic nod. He thought he already knew where Lee was going with this, but he still asked, "Why was it in your locker Lee?"
Lee cringed, but he didn't hesitate to answer. "Because I took it." He faced his father and explained, "It was weeks ago. You were dying. Kara was gone. Saul didn't know what the hell he was doing. The Quorum was up in arms. The civvies were screaming. The Cylons were everywhere. I hadn't slept in three days and I landed my Viper thinking that... I'd had it. I was just done. I started wishing that I had just smashed my Viper across the flight deck. But then I was glad I didn't... 'cause we're just too damn short on Vipers." Lee actually laughed at his own morbid logic.
William winced and told his son, "It's not the hardware that we really need Lee."
Lee shrugged. "Yeah well... then I figured, hell... I have my sidearm. I'll just go back to quarters and bite the barrel. No loss of a ship and no damage to the flight deck." Lee grimaced, and then added, "But then I thought what a mess that would be for someone to have to clean up. And that was when I remembered the Red Needle. Quick. Easy. Clean. So on an impulse... I grabbed it and stuffed it into my pocket. But by the time I got back to quarters... the impulse had passed. I didn't want to use it anymore. As frakked up as my life was, I didn't really want to die. So I tossed the damn thing onto the top shelf of my locker and I just left it there."
Lee looked his father directly in the eye and told him. "I didn't even look at the Needle again after that. And I swear to you, though I may have been in a crappy mood when I talked to you earlier that day... I had no intention of using the Needle the night that I was attacked."
"I believe you," William said quietly. "And yet," he pointed out, "you kept the Red Needle in your locker. You knew it was there... and you didn't put it back in your Viper, did you?"
After a few thoughtful moments, Lee admitted, "No, I didn't."
"Thought you'd keep it handy... for another time?"
Lee turned his face away. In a very quiet voice, he said, "I don't have a death wish Dad. But there have been times... a few times... when I just felt like I was drowning and I didn't know if there was any point in fighting my way back to the surface again."
Lee was more relaxed when he looked at his father again. "Look, I'm okay now. I am. As Doctor Marsh put it, I still have issues... but I can handle those. Anyway... since I've been so touchy about trust and honesty lately... I figured that I owed you the truth about the Needle. I told you before that I didn't take it from my Viper and that was wrong. I really didn't remember taking it... but I remember now. I just wanted to be honest with you."
William gave Lee an appreciative smile and blinked a little extra moisture from his eyes. "Thank you for telling me," he said.
Lee finally sat back on the couch a little. "So what happens now?"
"How do you mean?"
"Are you going to revoke my flight status?" Lee asked without any trace of sarcasm.
William was thoughtful for several long seconds. Lee was just about convinced that he was going to be grounded when his father finally replied, "No. Considering all that's happened... you wouldn't be human if you didn't hit a few rough spots from time to time. Lords know, I have too. Under the circumstances, you're doing fine."
Lee was genuinely surprised to hear his father say that. "I'll bet that hurt to say," he commented.
"Yes it did," William agreed. "I'd still rather lock you up somewhere safe."
"But you know I'd pick the lock."
William reacted with a slight grin. Then his face became serious again. "Son, I know you've got a helluva stubborn streak in you. It was inevitable considering your mother and me. But when you feel yourself sinking like that, you've got to ask for help instead of trying to tough it out on your own."
"Who could I have asked Dad?" Lee asked. "Kara was gone. I didn't think we'd ever see her again. Cottle didn't know if you were going to live through the night. Saul was caught somewhere between being scared shitless and passed out drunk. The President... she has too much of a load to carry already. I can't dump on her. There was no one to help me."
"There is now," William replied meaningfully. It dismayed him deeply to see that Lee still appeared doubtful. "Lee I'm going to ask you again. I would like you to reconsider continuing your sessions with Doctor Marsh. It doesn't have to be every day, but please think about it."
Lee grinned, just slightly. "Actually Dad... I have another confession to make. I already have standing appointments with her twice a week."
William's face brightened with the news. Then he grinned in a mirror reflection of his son. "So do I," he admitted.
Lee's mild grin broke into a smile and he nodded. In some ways he and his father weren't so different after all. "Has she mentioned to you about having a joint session?" Lee asked tentatively. "Both of us at the same time?"
William winced just slightly. "Yes," he said. "She suggested it."
"What do you think?" Lee inquired hesitantly.
William's wince deepened. "I don't know."
"Scary?" Lee asked teasingly.
"A little," William admitted. "Mostly I... I just don't like the idea of... having an audience."
"While we fight?"
William's expression grew serious. "It wouldn't necessarily have to be a fight."
"We don't have such a good track record on our own Dad," Lee sadly pointed out.
William looked meaningfully at his son. "We're doing all right now... aren't we?"
Lee conceded that with a nod, but then he looked doubtful again. "We've only been talking about the last few weeks. What about the last 30 years? You really think we can manage that without a referee?"
William thoughtfully replied, "We won't know until we try."
"I guess if we crash and burn we can always call for reinforcements."
"There's always that." William thought back briefly to those anxious hours he'd spent at Lee's bedside, praying for another chance to set things right with his son. He wasn't going to squander that chance again. "Whatever needs to be done now, I will do it," he silently promised again.
William pushed himself up to his feet. "How about that coffee now?"
"Now?"
"This could be a long night."
Lee sat looking up at his father in surprise. "You really mean now? Right now, you want to try this?"
"Why not?"
"It's getting late."
"Precisely," William thought. "It's late... but not too late." Aloud, he said, "All the more reason not to wait," William said.
Gaius Baltar relaxed back into the lounge chair and smiled contentedly. A soft breeze was blowing in off the water and sweeping across the open deck of his luxurious home where he was reclining in the warm afternoon sunlight. He had a cocktail in one hand and a beautiful blonde massaging his shoulders. It was good to be Gaius Baltar.
Just for a moment, the shoulder massage turned menacingly vise-like. Baltar jumped in response. He knew the blonde woman quite intimately, yet by name he knew her only as Cylon Model # 6. "What was that for?" he asked her.
"Because I'm insulted Gaius," she said into his ear.
"Insulted about what?" he inquired, settling back as the massage resumed at a more comfortable pressure.
Her fingers dug firmly into his shoulders again. "About the fact that you actually want people to believe that Cylons would produce a model so mentally inferior as that pilot you recruited. Worse, the people do seem to believe it. It's insulting."
"Yes," Baltar said. "Unfortunately it is true that to be that stupid you really would have to be human. But, My Dear, just like your old chrome toaster relatives, even stupid people can sometimes have their uses."
"Such as doing all the dirty work for the geniuses," she purred.
"Precisely," Baltar said with a smug grin. "Anyone who pledges their support to a political candidate solely on the basis of something as arbitrary as what dead planet they come from is a political moron, who is already begging to be manipulated and therefore deserves to be taken advantage of."
He took a leisurely sip from his cocktail, then shook his head disdainfully. "When people chose who they vote for they should be judging the candidates based on their qualifications as an individual. What do they stand for? What are their beliefs? What is their experience... or education... intelligence?"
Number Six interjected, "Character... integrity... honesty?" She shifted positions so that she was seated on the edge of Baltar's lounge chair. The slit in the skirt of her bright blue dress fell open proactively as she crossed her legs. "But doesn't it concern you at all that both of those pilots turned up dead before they explicitly proclaimed their allegiance to Tom Zarek?"
"Not really," Baltar mused. "It's certainly no great loss to the human gene pool. Although, it would have been more convenient if they hadn't been quite so tight-lipped about their loyalties to Zarek. Still, there is more than enough to raise suspicions and start a whole parade of rumors and innuendo once details of this whole affair start leaking out to the fleet."
Number Six peered coyly at Baltar. "Good thing you still have your little sex toy among the press corps."
"Yes," Baltar agreed. "Playa can be very handy at times." He leered cunningly.
Baltar started to take another drink when Number Six closed her hand over his wrist and stopped him. Her expression grew more serious. "No doubt. But what I'm asking, Gaius, is aren't you at all worried that whoever killed those pilots to shut them up might do the same to you?"
Baltar shrugged dismissively. "No. There is, after all, absolutely nothing to tie any of these events back to me... anymore. Nothing can be done against me... the Vice President... without raising suspicions elsewhere. Besides, whoever Tom Zarek's little friend is aboard Galactica, it won't matter for very long. Zarek's days of influence are numbered. Once the gossip starts, the rumor mongers are going to have a field day with Mr. Zarek." He sat up straighter in his chair, grinning broadly. "You know, I do believe that the conspiracy theories people will be dreaming up will end up being far more sordid and entertaining than the simple truth."
Number Six clucked her tongue a few times, taking on an exaggerated expression of distaste. "Oh yes. Assassination attempts... complicity with a Cylon. Shocking. How could the people allow such a person in their government?"
"Tune in for news at eleven," Baltar grinned mockingly. "Zarek's supporters will soon be deserting him in droves and his campaign hopes will be dashed."
"And the race for the Presidency will be left wide open... except, of course, for the President herself."
Baltar shrugged and finished off his drink. "She's not a problem," he said. "As much as I do respect the woman, that whole nasty business with the coup has virtually guaranteed that she has no hope of reelection. Her leadership and ability to manage the military are simply far too questionable."
"Hmmm?" Number Six tapped her fingers on a bare kneecap, pondering. "I wonder who the people will turn to then? Who is left for them to pin their hopes on... Mr. Vice President?" She took Baltar's empty glass from his hand and set is aside on the deck, knowing full well that his eyes tracked her movements, especially the shifting of her low-cut neck line.
"You're quite good at writing computer code," he mused. "Do you think you could assist with an inaugural address? It's bound to be a very historic moment. I do want to make sure that I get it right."
Number Six smiled teasingly and leaned across Baltar's lounging body. "You haven't won the election yet Gaius. You've only just started clearing your rivals off the playing field." Her smile vanished and her voice became tinged with a dangerous edge. "And speaking of rivals... don't think that I don't know you were working two playing fields here, not just one. The election is just one goal. Getting back into Lieutenant Thrace's pants is the other. You were trying to kill two birds with one stone, as it were." She leaned forward and ran one hand up Baltar's chest. "It's too bad that first little birdie didn't die. You only winged him. He's even back up and flying again."
"Yes, that was very rude of him," Baltar commented, warily watching his companion's fingers as they slid up toward his throat. "But it really doesn't matter," he said. "Captain Adama's survival is purely inconsequential in the larger scheme of things and Lieutenant Thrace is a pleasant diversion at most."
"Really?" she mocked him. "And it doesn't bother your ego in the least that when you were frakking her she was thinking of him? You don't have any interest in proving to yourself... and to her... that you are the better man?"
Baltar's face became tensely serious. He growled, "I am the better man. He can't compete with me."
She said teasingly, "But the captain is still in the game Gaius."
Baltar relaxed again. "The game isn't made up of a single hand and you can't expect the cards to be dealt in your favor every time. I lost one hand, but the game is far from over. The good captain does, after all, have a very dangerous job. Pilots die all the time. And in the end... I always win."
Number Six smiled alluringly. "Of course you do Gaius. Or should I start getting accustomed to calling you 'Mr. President'?"
The End