A/N: All right, normally I post these at the end of my chapters, but this is a special case here, because I fear that a lot of you will be hating me at least after the first part. But please keep in mind what I wrote about Lee and/or Kara being OOC and my intention when starting this story. I promise, that this will not be the last twist in the plot.

As for Tigh (who will be entering the stage in the second part of the chapter): I would highly appreciate some comments on his "in-characterness" (if you get my meaning) because what I'm doing here is like flying blindsided and relying purely on instinct. Well, that and the fanfictions, homepages and character guides I read up to now. I just hope I drew him at least roughly as you get to see him on-screen.

Anyway, am talking way to much, will now let you read the story in peace.

Chapter Three

"Love hurts, love scars, love wounds and mars…"

Nazareth, "Love hurts"

Crew barracks

She was still sitting on her bunk, with her hands grind into her eyes, and already losing the fight against the tears, when he finally found her. For some seconds he just looked at her, unsure what to say. Then his resolve won over, and he straightened out his uniform, cleared his throat and said: "Feeling sorry for yourself?"

If she was startled by his sudden appearance, she didn't let it show. Instead of jumping or looking up she just said: "Frak off, Adama." Not gruff and abrasive, but just… tired. Okay, so she thought she was getting away easily. But not this time. Just not this time.

"Not for all the Vipers on this ship, Lieutenant." With a few large strides he was at her bunk, staring at her with his arms crossed. For some moments, nothing happened, but the tension in the room was so thick that you could almost slice into it with a knife.

Then Kara said: "I said "Frak off.", and I mean "Frak off.". Captain.", and something inside him snapped. Not at the inherent insolence, but at the tired tone and the quiet voice. She was tired? She who had caused him all the jealousy and fury with jumping in bed with Baltar, and she whom he had been worried sick for when she went away on a suicide mission. She, who had not been there to help him through the time where he was forced to work against his own father. She, when he had been in the brig for this and when he had been nearly out of his head for worry when his father was shot? She wanted peace? Well, he would give her peace.

Almost by itself his arm lashed out, grabbed her ankle and yanked her from her bunk by it. Ungraceful she tumbled onto the deck. But instead of bucking up and coming to her feet again, she just staid there, sitting on the cold deck, not looking him into the eye.

In his blind fury, Lee wanted – needed – some response, or he would get even more agitated. For weeks he had been forced to bottle up everything inside. The jealousy at Baltar. The anger at her betrayal, both with jumping in bed with that git of a vice-president and with hijacking the Raider on some suicide mission. The worry for her when not hearing anything of her. The anger at Roslin's part in the whole suicide mission thing. The shock at seeing his father being shot by Boomer. Just everything.

And now he needed to take it out on someone, so he hauled her up and sent his fist flying into her face. As it connected with her cheekbone the bone broke with a sickening crack that rang through the empty crew quarters. For a moment the only sound was his ragged breathing, and then she crumbled and fell to the floor, saying nothing, but shaking with silent sobs.

But Lee had finally crossed the edge. There was nothing breaking through the red haze in his mind, and so he didn't stop but just went on. He kicked her, made her fall to her side, gave her another kick… and all the time she was silent. And something inside wished she would scream, finally scream. Hearing her scream would mean hearing her suffer. And he wanted her to suffer. Gods, how he wanted…

"Captain? Sir?" He whipped around. Standing before him was the bewildered figure of Helo. The appearance of the other man and the utter look of confusion on his face somehow worked like a bucket of cold water, and suddenly Lee felt hot waves of shame and regret flow through his veins. Behind him Kara was making a small sound that seemed to contain all the hurt and pain she must be enduring.

Something in him refused to let him turn around, and so he stood there, rooted to the spot, caught like a deer in headlights. For a moment it seemed that time had been frozen by the Gods, but then Helo spoke up. "Sir… is this what I think it is? Because, if it is, I need to…" call security, Lee finished for himself, but didn't say anything. Helo seemed to take that as a yes, since he was already calling security and medical personal to the crew barracks. When they finally came, Lee let himself be arrested without resistance.

The brig

"So soon back in hack, Captain? You're not planning on making it into a habit, are you?", Colonel Tigh asked with an accompanying smirk, but was only answered with a brooding look by Lee Adama. "Lieutenant Thrace is quite stable now, they told me. I thought you maybe wanted to know that." Still nothing but the dark stare. Tigh had hoped for some other – stronger – reaction, but he could live with that, too. He would just have to thrust in the knife a little deeper. And maybe twist it a little.

"They say that she got away with a cracked rib, cracked cheekbone, broken wrist and broken knee-cap, the knee, that was still healthy, by the way. Well, that and a whole lot of bruises. I don't know about any internal injuries because she was still in surgery when I went to find your sorry ass here." No reaction but the stare. Whatever it was that had brought the Captain to attack his 2IC so violently had obviously subsided. Or was just gathering strength to come back with a vengeance. Tigh was there to find out which of the two applied. "That was a pretty good job you did to Lieutenant Thrace, Captain. Nice to see her being beat up for a change. I owe you one." Tigh had started to pace, with his face always on Adama. But the man was just staring, following him just with his eyes. But Tigh wasn't someone easily intimidated.

"Is it true that she didn't fight back? I almost sent Agathon in here with you for lying to a superior because I just couldn't believe that the great Starbuck would let her buddy, the CAG, beat the crap out of her. So, care to enlighten me, Captain?" Was that a glint passing over Adama's eyes? "Oh come on, you can't tell me big, brawling, fearless Starbuck let herself being beat up by you without not even lifting a finger. I mean, she beats you at everything. Flying, cards, fighting…" Oh, now look at that. A twitch in Adama's fingers. Tigh decided to push his luck a little and came to stand right before the bars, peering down on Lee. "Is that the reason you're not good enough for her? Scuttlebutt has it that she got to frak the vice-president – that was it, wasn't it? You wanted to show her just how much you appreciated of her whoring her way up the top, don't you? Well, I wouldn't count on it that you got your message through. You of all people should know about Lieutenant Thrace's sexual moral…"

In the blink of an eye, Lee was up and gripping Tigh's collar tightly, thus pressing him to the bars. "Don't you dare calling Lieutenant Thrace a whore.", he said through gritted teeth, and his ice-cold green gaze bore right into Tigh's brown, mildly surprised one.

"I would advice you to let me go, Captain, if you want to go back to flying Vipers some time soon.", was all that Tigh stated after a moment of perfect silence. With just a bit of lingering aggressiveness Adama finally let go. Threatening him with taking away flying from him always was successful in the end, Tigh knew. With a scowl Lee backed away into the farthest corner of his cell again and settled into the staring routine again. But before Tigh could continue with his interrogation session, a guard came bashing into the brig, calling "The Commander wants you on Life Station ASAP, Sir. He says, he needs you for a bridge officer briefing."

Gritting his teeth, Tigh just nodded. But before finally storming off to Life Station, he turned a last time towards Lee. "Seems we have to continue our conversation another time."

Surprisingly Lee answered him: "And I'm looking forward to it as much as you. Sir."

A/N #2: Oh, before I forget it again: Thanks to the people who put "Desire" into their C2s, one of my greatest dreams was to have something of mine achieved into a C2 :D No, really, I'm dead serious. Thanks yo much, you just made my day :) And of course thanks to my reviewers crookedpen, Aleja21 and CCI4. I really appreciate your feedback :)