In the clearing
by SJ
PG: Unless you are disturbed by the word fracked?
Characters: Adama and Roslin
Disclaimer: I don't own them, I'm making no money and I will return the characters before their bedtime.
Setting: Possibly in the episode "Home". Adama goes to find our lost little Kobolites. This scene takes place after Adama is reunited with his son and he asks Roslin to take a walk with him, as they need to talk.
The walk with Roslin wasn't going how he expected. She was quiet, but then so was he. There was just too much they had to say and no easy way of saying any of it.
"You didn't tell me"
"Tell you?" by the look of sympathy he was giving her she assumes he was referring to the cancer. "Oh", was all she gave him in return.
"We don't tell each other a lot of things" she replied.
Adama stops in his tracks, which also halts Roslin.
"That's not a good excuse"
"And are your excuses any better?" she bit back.
"Why would anything I say, any way I could explain the situation, change things? You didn't listen then when I tried to explain to you about Kobol." She sighed, frustrated at herself, him and the whole damn situation.
"I had reasons for the things I did" she said.
"Yet I don't get to hear these reasons till after I'm shot and you run off with a good portion of the fleet"
He also stops for reflection… "And I don't even get to hear these reasons from you" Adama looks back to the ground, hurt by her lack of communication. They continue to walk.
"Why haven't you arrested me and the others and dragged us all back to the Galactica?"
"I'm trying to find some common ground with the president"
The use of her title caught her off guard, she stopped walking and he waited for her response.
"I didn't want this" she finally replied.
"Want what?" he asked.
"The fighting between us- hell I didn't even want to be president. But, in the position that was given to me, I told myself- do what you have to do to unite the people and keep them going. So when the time comes that they have to face the cylons, they know that they have the strength that will get them through to the next crisis."
She paused and looked at the grass, then back at the bit of hair that wandered in front of her face. She pushed the hair back.
"I guess I really fracked up"
Adama tried to stifle a laugh.
"What?" she asked- confused at his sudden laughter.
"I never knew the word 'frack' was part of political discourse"
"Try putting up with Zarek for more then 24 hours and you will be saying more than just that"
There was a warm composure between the two, the air seemed a little clearer but there was more that needed to be said. There was always more.
"I fracked up too"
The way he said it held an air of deep regret and silent acknowledgement. Neither of them said much more for a few more minutes and continued walking back to the others. Before reaching the clearing, Roslin reached out a hand to Adama's shoulder and halted him from moving any further. She looked at him, seeing more in his eyes then he intended to share. Without much thought on her part, she stepped closer and embraced him. They both closed their eyes and held tight to each other.
What they couldn't share with anyone else, they shared with each other. Nothing more needed to be said. They both fracked up and they both knew the road ahead of them to reconciliation was going to be a long and strenuous one. But in those few moments their personal struggles were each others and in each other they found a few moments of peace.
After a while they both let go. They wondered whether this little arrow of theirs would result in anything. Their faces hopeful, they headed towards the clearing and the future of their fleet- their Apollo and Starbuck.