Chapter Sixteen
Dr Salik was placing a bandage over the open gash in the back of Jessica's head when Lee burst into sick bay. He knows. Jessica grimaced watching the play of furious emotion on his face. He knows what I did to Morgan.
"Cally told you." Jessica sighed.
Lee grit his teeth and forced himself to turn to the doctor. "How is she?" He asked. His own cuts and bruises had been tended to earlier.
"She'll have a hell of a headache for a few days but she'll be alright." The doctor replied.
"That's good. Could we have a minute, Doctor?"
"Uh actually, I don't think-" Jessica protested, reluctant to get into the lecture Lee was ready to launch into.
"Sure, we're all done here. Come see me later if you want something for the pain." Salik told Jessica turning to go check on Cally.
"Traitor." Jessica scowled after her.
Lee waited until the door was closed and then he grabbed Jessica. "How could you have been so frakking stupid?" He practically pulled her off the examination table.
"Okay, ow!" Jessica groaned as the movement caused the painful throbbing in her head to intensify.
"Cally told me you practically frakked Morgan, though to hear her tell it, you're a damn hero!"
"Again, ow!" Jessica said clenching her eyes against the splitting pain. Lee eased his grasp on her arms and shook his head. "I'll probably have bruises there tomorrow, you big jackass." Jessica rubbed her arms.
Lee narrowed his eyes and ran his fingers through his hair so that it stood up in uneven spikes. "Do you not realize Morgan could have killed you? While you were on your knees sucking him off-,
"I didn't!-" Jessica injected but Lee ploughed ahead.
"-he could have blown your frakking head off, you stupid kid!"
Jessica jerked back at the venom in his voice and tried hard to remind herself that he was speaking from a place of pure, frustrated fear. "First of all, I never gave him a blowjob, secondly, the plan was to distract him which, hello, worked as Cally was able to get the gun away from him and thirdly, I'd do it again if I had to...and well, if he wasn't dead." Jessica amended.
"Oh well, nice to known you still have some scruples." Lee seethed. Then he turned away from her and Jessica watched his shoulders sag as the anger eased out of him.
"Lee-" Jessica began softly. "You weren't there. It was just Cally and I and Morgan was going to...rape her, I think. I couldn't let him."
"I thought he'd raped you. When I saw you on your knees without your shirt on, I thought-" Lee's voice thickened with emotion and Jessica pressed a hand on his back.
"And you would have cared?" She asked him. He turned to face her, his face showing surprise at her question.
"For frak's sake, Jess." Lee exclaimed.
Jessica pressed her face against his back and shuddered. "Just tell me, Lee. It'd be really nice to hear right about now." She whispered.
He turned his body and wrapped his arms around her. "Come here." He drew her closer and she sagged against him, tears filling her eyes. "Would I have cared? Lords." Lee shook his head in amazement. "This whole frakking thing was my fault. You warned me. You told me not to go."
"Oh, don't go there. You are not responsible for what Zarek or Morgan did." Jessica didn't raise her head, enjoying the feeling of his warm body pressed against hers.
"I should have listened to you. If I had, Cally wouldn't have gotten shot and you...you..."
Jessica felt the shudder go through him and she tightened her arms around his waist.
"But we also wouldn't have been able to get help getting the water from that planet." She pointed out trying to lift the heavy burden of guilt from his shoulders. He saw right through that and gave her a small smile, pressing his lips to her forehead.
The sound of a gunshot rang through her skull and Jessica jerked back with the impact of blinding pain through her head.
"What?" Lee asked when her legs buckled. His grip tightened to keep her upright.
She squeezed her eyes, fighting against the agony in her head to be able to answer him. Again, she saw the dark haired woman from her dream. This time she held a gun and had it aimed at the Commander. More gun shots made Jessica scream in pain and she fell against Lee. He was the only thing keeping her from dropping to the floor.
"Jess, what! What's wrong?" He tilted her face up to look at him and cupped it in one hand.
"Boomer!" She fought to get the word out past the haze of throbbing pain. "Your father. You have to stop her, Lee!"
"Stop what? What about my father?" Lee's panicked voice asked. He forced himself to calm down. "Okay, easy, Jess. Let's just take a deep breath okay? Easy." Lee insisted easing her back onto the examination table. "Now breathe, Jess. Just take a minute and tell me what you're trying to say."
Jessica dug her nails into his forearms and forced herself to take a deep breath with Lee. Then the words came to her. "Oh Gods...she's a Cylon, Lee. Boomer's a Cylon!"
He was about to refute her words but something in her eyes stopped the words before they came and then he was racing for the door. She followed close behind him as they sprinted towards the CIC.
When they got there a crowd had gathered and was cheering and clapping, blocking their view of either Boomer or William Adama.
"Shit. Where is she?" Lee demanded anxiously as they pushed through the crowd.
A single shot rang through the room and Jessica knew this one wasn't in her head.
"Dad!" Lee screamed pushing to get to his father while the crowd screamed in horror and shock. Jessica was nearly knocked off her feet in the midst of the chaos as people rushed to get out of the line of fire.
Another shot. Oh my Gods, no! No! Jessica cried. She spotted a small opening and caught a flash of a brown flight suit. She ran towards it and then jumped, throwing herself against who she hoped was the Cylon that everybody knew as Sharon 'Boomer' Valeri. A last shot exploded from the gun before both women hit the floor. Jessica didn't dare look up to see if the last shot had hit Lee's father. She used her body to hold Boomer down. Looking at her face, Jessica saw shock and disbelief on the woman's face. She doesn't know. Jessica realized with a nervous clench in her stomach. She doesn't know she's a Cylon.
William Adama fell against the lit table, his blood spreading onto the glass while Lee screamed for a doctor and Colonel Tigh tried to stop the bleeding. Guards came and eased Jessica off Boomer and carted the horrified lieutenant out of the room in restraints.
Jessica pulled herself up to her feet and choked on a gasp. There was so much blood. Dee was holding on to the commander's hand and was praying.
Lee held his father's head in his arms and was crying. Dear Gods, don't let him die. Jessica prayed, not only for Will Adama. But also for the man she loved.
A.N: I needed to step up Adama's shooting cause there's no way Boomer and Jessica could both be on the Galactica and Jess not know she's a Cylon.
Sweet A.K: Thankie for my icon, I loved it! Battered and bruised Bam Bam is very hot. Now worries, my Archie and Apollo muses are constantly fighting for my attention! Hope you like this chapter too!
B.S: I'm so glad the suspense here worked for you! I'm still feeling my way with that aspect of writing. Hope you enjoy this chapter!
Mae: Sorry for the long wait. Real life maid of honor duties and work took my attention and remember, I have to update my HH story for five chapters and Strawberry Wine too. Hope the wait for this one was worth it.
Lady Rheena: Thanks so much for your lovely feedback. I'm glad the 'other time Jess' talking to the present Jess wasn't confusing. The whole 'This has all happened before' philosophy really inspired me and that whole circle of time idea will be more fully explored in future chapters and books.
It's always a matter of so much to write and not enough time. Hopefully the wait was worth it.
stargirl: Thankie for your lovely feedback. Finally got rid of Morgan! Hope you like this chapter too!
LEO: I have no intention of stopping! (laughs) Hope you like this chapter too!
liz22474: Have no fear, I haven't given up on this story. I just try to update my other ones too so everyone's happy. Hope you enjoy this chapter too!