Summary: Kara's coming home from Caprica. Lee's still sulking. So?

Category: Angst/Romance (Kara/Lee-pairing)

Rating: M, just to be on the safe side

Disclaimer: They aren't mine (heck, I would be thankful if I even only had a DVD…), and they'll never be. Not making any money with it, either (though I could really, really use it – meesa poor broke college senior). Just don't sue me.

A/N: Me again. Still not having seen one episode of BSG2003 and now being supposed to sit over my term paper on the question whether the theories of economic redistribution and social recognition can be merged into only one theory of social justice. But I need a break now. Anyway, just wanted to say what I forgot saying in the note to "Desire": I'm not a native speaker, and my laptop's keyboard seems to have a life of its own sometimes, so please don't be too offended when noticing typos or strange grammatical constructions. I may have been reading, writing and speaking English for over ten years now, but I'm still far from doing it like a native speaker. Please take this in account.

Coming Home

Chapter One

"And so you´re back
From out of space
I just walked in to find you here with that sad look
Upon your face."

- Gloria Gaynor, "I will survive"

Battlestar Galactica, CIC

"Starb… to …actica Contr… do you re… me?"

The young Lieutenant sitting in CIC who had been scanning the surroundings for at least three hours but without expecting anything nearly jumped out of his seat when hearing the woman's voice faintly over the heavy static interference. But overcoming his surprise fast enough he recalibrated his wireless console, and now the signal was much clearer. "Repeat: Starbuck to Galactica Control… do you read me?" He grinned from ear to ear and answered: "Yes. Clear and distinct. Welcome home, Lieutenant."

Kara grinned, being slightly happy that it wasn't Lee answering her call but Lieutenant Maggan. She still grinned, when she answered: "Thank you, Galactica. And I even brought something back from the trip. Tell the Commander, I have the package and two surprises. Though one isn't quite pleasant. In fact, we need a security team on the flight. Well, and maybe a med team as well.", she added, when she had thrown a short glance over to Helo who didn't look all too good. And well, to be honest she knew she wouldn't be able to ignore the throbbing pain in her thigh any longer.

"Sir… the Commander's… not available at the moment. I'll tell the XO and the CAG." Not available?, Kara thought and frowned? What did that mean, Adama "not available" on working shift? But she chose not ask, and instead said: "Yeah, well, spare the XO. Just tell the CAG." Tigh would be chewing her out later for preventing Maggan from telling him she was back, but she really didn't want to have anything to do with the old drunk in at least two more hours. Maggan on the other side affirmed her order, and then told her to proceed the landing.

In that moment she suddenly didn't want to return to the Galactica anymore. The dread of having to look into Lee's eyes after all she had done and the guilt she felt for jumping to Caprica without talking with the Commander after her confession and the things she would have to tell Chief Tyrol about all suddenly began to weigh down on her heavily. It was just her burning wish to get out of the vicinity of that… thing posing as Sharon Valerii cramped inside the raptor behind her, that drove her to finally landing.

Once she was settled on the flight deck and she had opened the hatch, a security team surrounded the Raptor even before the deck crew could come nearer to assist with post-flight procedure. Getting up slowly – mostly because of the wound in her thigh, she wasn't afraid of Security, mind you – Kara got up and out of the spacecraft, followed by a very sluggishly moving Helo. When they were both outside on the deck, Kara jerked her thump towards the Raptor and told the Security team: "It's in there. Vicious bitch, it is. Have fun, guys. But don't take too long, I need the post-flight getting done ASAP." She heard a polite cough behind her and turned to see Specialist Cally kind of nervously fiddling.

"Uh… negative, sir. CAG wants to see you on Life Station ASAP." Kara furrowed her brow. First the Commander "not available" and now "CAG wants to see you on Life Station"? What the frak was going on here? "On Life Station? What's he doing there?" The young crewman cocked her head to the side. "Visiting the Commander, of course." Huh? This was becoming weirder and weirder. "He's doing what? What the frak has happened here?" By now she was ready to punch just someone to get a satisfying answer. Which made Cally back down a little. "Uh… oh… errr… you haven't heard what happened yet, Lieutenant?" Kara's hands clenched into fists. "Heard what, Cally?" She could swear that Cally had shortened several centimeters, as if cowering. "While you were away, the Commander was shot by Boo… the thing that claimed to be Lieutenant Valerii, sir. It happened three days ago, and since then Captain Adama has been at Life Station, watching over the Old Man. And now he wants to see you there."

As soon as Cally had mentioned Commander Adama being shot, all color had drained out of Kara's face, and all anger had left, leaving a lump of dread in her stomach behind. And it became even worse when she said that Lee had been at Life Station three days straight. Lee would rather be grounded two weeks than neglect his CAG-duties even one hour. Neglecting it for three days straight in favor of being at Life Station visiting his father meant the situation was beyond grave. Cally most have seen the thoughts flying through Kara's mind, as she tentatively said: "You should be going, sir. He didn't sound as if he was in the mood to wait." Without a word, Kara nodded, but looked back at the Raptor, which now was ready for post-flight. Cally just said: "Don't worry, sir. We'll take care of that. Now go before he becomes so angry that he puts you in hack without you even having blinked at someone the wrong way." Still like being in trance, Kara turned around again and made her way to Life Station. Coming home had never felt so terrible.

Life Station

Lee starred at his father's unconscious form on the bed before him, but he didn't really see anything. There was just one thought in his head. So she's finally back. The only thing betraying his nervousness, anger and insecurity about having to see her again in just a matter of minutes was the slight twitching of his right foot. Since her jump to Caprica he had been in a constant state of anxiousness, anger, jealousy, fear and a thousand more feelings, none of them pleasant. He still had all the questions in his head. How she could have gone to bed with that prick Baltar. How she could have let herself being deceived by a confused and slightly insane president. How she could have ever thought she could get away with such an act of treason against the people, against the Galactica, against his father and most of all against him. She was so going to be…

"How bad is it?", came suddenly a very quiet voice from the other side of the bed, and he looked up, just to see a very pale Kara with a battered flight-suit and a makeshift bandage around her right thigh. For a moment his heart stopped beating, but then he had himself back under control. "Well, what does it look like, Lieutenant?" She slightly cringed at the tone he had used, and she was right to do it. She deserved the coldness and bitterness aimed at her.

"Lee, I…" Suddenly he couldn't stand the sight of her anymore. So he did the only thing seeming possible at the moment. "Report back to Colonel Tigh and then to the flight deck to do your post-flight, Lieutenant. After that you go straight to your quarters and stay there. Until further notice you're grounded, Lieutenant. Dismissed." For a moment the only sounds being heard where the back humming of normal Life Station activity and the beeping of some of the machines the Commander was wired to. And then she exploded. "What the frak do you think you're doing? First you want to see me "ASAP" here, then you only tell me to report back to Tigh and do my post-flight and most of all, that I'm grounded? What's going on in that thick head of yours?" He forced himself to look up at her and coldly returning her fiery stare. "You go on an arbitrary suicide mission, breaking my father's heart along the way and committing treason on top of it, and you ask me what's going on in my head?" He hadn't screamed at her, but he didn't need to. The effect of his level and cool voice were all the graver.

"Look, Lee, I…" He didn't want to hear her apologies. Not this time. He didn't want to hear anything from her. "You have your orders, Lieutenant. Obey them, or I'll have insubordination added to your record." Lee half-expected her to throw another tantrum, but after a moment of silence she just said: "Yes, sir.", and went away to find Tigh.

After she was gone, Lee squeezed his eyes shut tight. This wasn't how he had imagined her coming home. Dressing her down, yes, but having give up so fast? What the frak had happened to her? And what had happened to him that he could be so cold? Seeing her home again had never felt so terrible.