"Kara, honey, settle down," Miles Thrace whispered as he sat down on the side of his daughter's bed. "What's wrong?"
"The Cylons were trying to kill me again," Kara whispered. She burrowed down farther into the covers so only her eyes and the top of her head peeked out.
"How many times do I have to tell you? The Cylons are gone, Kara. They're not going to try to kill you." Miles reached down to pick up the teddy bear sitting on the floor beside the bed. He reached out and tucked it in next to his daughter.
Kara immediately kicked the covers off and sat up to protest. Miles wanted to laugh. His daughter was always such a bundle of energy. "Nuh-uh. Mommy said that the Cylons are going to get me if I keep screwing up."
Miles rolled his eyes. This was so fraking typical. "Your mommy doesn't know what she's talking about most of the time, kid."
Kara shook her head. "Mommy said that you were too stupid to know the truth. She said that anyone who couldn't even sell one song has no power in this house."
Miles had a feeling Kara had just rattled that off verbatim. "What else has your Mommy been telling you?"
"She said that no one's ever going to love me."
"That's ridiculous because I love you very much."
Kara rolled her eyes and let out a exaggerated sigh. "You don't count."
"Mommy was still wrong, though. I know for a fact that there's a handsome prince out there waiting to love you, Kara."
"Really?" The little girl's eyes went wide as she sat up on her feet. "Even after I've been so bad?
"Mommy's been telling you that, hasn't she?" Kara nodded. "Well, Mommy's wrong. There's a young prince out there waiting for you to show up. And he's going to love you for all the reasons that I love you. Not only that but he's going to love you for all the reasons that Mommy foolishly says are bad."
"When am I going to meet him?"
"When the time is right. You don't want to rush it or it won't happen. Just be a good girl and stay patient. One day when you really need it, he'll swoop in on his white horse and take you away."
"Will he rescue me like in the movies?"
Miles thought it over for a moment before shaking his head. "No. Because you, my dear Kara, are so strong and smart you can rescue yourself from anything."
Kara's mouth erupted in a wide, childish grin of innocence. "I'm going be strong and not let people frak with me."
"Kara Thrace! Where did you learn a word like that?"
"Mommy says it. She calls me a fraking mistake and tells me I frakked up her life all the time."
Miles bit down on his tongue to keep from using a few choice words of his own. "It's not a nice word for a seven-year-old girl to use. I don't want to hear it coming out of your angelic little mouth again, young lady."
"Okay," Kara whispered.
"Now you need to get some sleep."
Kara nodded, pulling her teddy bear in tight, and stretched her body out underneath the covers. Miles leaned in to brush his lips across her forehead. "Will you sing me a song, Daddy?" she asked, smiling up at him.
"Sure," Miles said with a smile. "I'll sing you a song about a beautiful little princess named Kara who looks up into the stars every night and wishes for love. Little does she know that halfway around the world, there's a young prince wishing on the same star." He tucked her small body into the covers and began to hum a impulsive tune.