Chapter Twenty

If the younger Adama had the worst timing known to man, the elder Adama made up for it by having the absolute best. As a flushed Jess and a now upwardly mobile Lee made their way to the XO's office be given hell by Saul Tigh, Salik intercepted them in the corridor.

"He's awake! He's conscious." She exclaimed, the lines around the doctor's black eyes slightly smoothed by relief.

Jessica watched Lee go very still beside her and her heart burst with joy for him. Suddenly shy, she debated whether to throw her arms around him to share his relief. Bizarre, considering they were a mere shifting aside of clothing from frakking on the gym floor only moments ago. He'd been quiet and uncomfortable as they walked out of gym. But Lee hadn't stammered out any apologies which Jess supposed she should be grateful for.

He knew her too well by now though. Besides an underlying sense of uncomfortable tension, Lee deliberately kept his thoughts focused on his father as they walked. Sneaky, smart bastard.

"You can see him for a few minutes, but that's all. And only one at a time." the doctor informed them.

"Okay, sure. I'll come by later." Jessica offered. "Tell your dad, I owe him one. Big time."

Lee looked at her blankly for a moment. Jessica's mouth curved in a secret smile and Lee's slow blush indicated the message had gotten through. Then he looked behind her and noticed the absence of Mark.

"Poor guy. I hope Tigh hasn't given him a hard time. Doc, Can you walk me to where Lieutenant Thrace is interrogating the Cylon prisoners?" Jessica asked.

"Jess, are you sure you want to-" Lee began, obviously not liking the idea.

"Watch Kara torture the monsters who made my life hell for two years? You bet your sweet ass I do." She responded in a tone that brooked no argument. "Go see your father." Jessica pressed. "Oh, and pray Tigh hasn't been in to see him first." She added with a grimace that Lee echoed.

"He hasn't, has he?" Lee asked Dr Salik.

She shook her head. "I came to find you first."

"Thank the Gods." Both Jessica and Lee sighed at same time, making the doctor cock a curious eyebrow.

Jessica was led into the interrogation room by a big, burly guard with ruddy face that matched his red hair. If Kara was surprised to see her there, she gave no indication. All the older woman's attention was fixated on the Cylon's head, currently being submerged in a vat of water by two guards.

"Pull up a seat and enjoy, honey." Kara drawled. She nodded at the guards and they pulled the man's head out of the water by his hair.

Jessica steeled herself to face the machine monster. The embodiment of all her fears. But when she looked into the man's eyes and gasped, the sound Jessica made was not one of horror but of confused surprise.

"You?" Her voice cracked with disbelief. The man's eyes widened slightly in surprise and then he smiled at her.

Jessica fell backward into the chair the guard had placed next to Kara for her.

"Hello, Jessica." His voice sent another jolt of recognition through her.

Kara's head snapped to Jessica with a wary look.

"I...he.." Jessica was at a loss to form a coherent thought when the man who'd saved her life was staring her in the face. No. Not the man. The Cylon. "Good Gods..."

"You recognize him?" Kara asked. She was about to offer Jessica the opportunity to dunk him herself when Jessica stopped her.

"No. Wait!" Jessica cried out at the guards who were readying themselves to submerge Leoben's head again.

Leoben. She shivered and leaned forward in her chair. "You're one of them. How-"

"could you not know? You did know. You do. You just don't remember now." He informed her.

"Okay, one of you start making sense or I'm drowning both of you, how's that?" Kara spat in irritation.

"He saved my life." Jessica explained, her eyes never wavering from his. Held there by a sick, confused fascination. "Say what now?" Kara asked.

"He saved...my Gods...The injection you gave me...Why?" Jessica's head ached with the confusion swimming in her brain.

Again, he smiled.

"It wasn't me. It was him."

Jessica blinked. So this was a copy. Some other version of Leoben but with his memories and knowledge. "Why?" She repeated, not at all sure she wanted to know anymore.

"God has a plan for you, Jessica."

"Oh lords, not this again. He's been spouting the same crap to me for the past hour. Dunk his ass." Kara ordered in a burst of exasperation.

Jessica didn't object this time. "He's a machine. A machine. He's not human." She repeated to herself even as she shuddered in her chair.

"You're meant to live, Jessica." He repeated when he was allowed up for air. "That's why he did it. When we wanted to dispose of you because we couldn't understand your knowledge. We escaped when the Galactica attacked, Leoben said that God told him to save you. To convince the others the torture had finally killed you so we'd leave you behind. He injected you with a drug that simulates death. Saved you as God instructed."

"So your God wanted us evil humans to save another human. One that you went to a hell of a lot of trouble to hold on to and are even now, trying to get back." Kara rolled her eyes and crossed her arms sitting back in her chair.

Leoben smiled. "They know she's alive now."

"But if they were gonna get rid of me anyway. Why do they want me back now?" Jessica couldn't help herself from asking.

"Because God told us who you are. God told us Leoben was right." He looked at her with such a look of awe and love that Jessica's heart leapt in her chest. She suddenly couldn't breathe. Jessica bolted up out of her chair with panicked speed. Her heart felt as if it was about to explode from her chest in perfect similarity with what Lee had been feeling earlier.

"He knew. He knew that you would bring us all together. His faith was strong when we killed him. Do you know he said your name when he died?"

"Shut up! Please!" Jessica covered her ears with her hands. What the hell was this? How could her dreams be telling her one thing and this machine-"

"Go on. Get out of here." Kara ordered calling for one of the guards to take Jessica back to her room.

"I'm gonna destroy you! I'm going to wipe the whole frakking bunch of you off the planet. That's who I am." Jessica screamed at him.

"Your child is gonna end the war between us. That's not the same thing, now is it Jessica?" He replied.

"Jess, go." Kara ordered.

Jessica stared at him, this copy of the machine that saved her life. She couldn't read his mind. Couldn't understand what he meant. If he actually believed what he was telling her or if he was just toying with her. Jessica could never read the Cylons because their mental process was all mechanical. She didn't know what he was telling her but she couldn't make herself ask him to explain.

It was all too confusing. What was real? Was anything he told them the truth? He hadn't told Kara how many Cylons were in the fleet, no matter how bad she tortured him. He told her there was a bomb on board instead. No bomb had been found. A wild goose chase. Mind games. That was one of their weapons, Jessica told herself. That was all this was.

She didn't look at him again before the guard led her out of the room. But she did stop in the hallway and waited until she stopped shaking.

Jessica's dreams that night were a confusing jumbled mess that she was pulled away from with a jolt when she heard the Cylon prisoner Leoben whisper her name in her ear. When she opened her eyes, she knew Leoben was dead once again.

The End

A.N: Sorry this chapter took a bit long. Well, we've come to the end of Book Two. Thankie to everyone who's followed Jessica and Lee's story, and the newbies who jumped on board. A special thankie to the extra special Mary Sue hater who reminds me every day, why it is I love writing the stories I do. Hopefully you'll follow me into Book 3

Now I have a task for my readers. I want to stick with the life/human tone of my chapter titles but can't seem to think of a good one for Book 3. So far we've had Alive and Breathe. What should I name Book 3?

Mae: I'm glad I amuse you so. (laughs) Hope you enjoy this chapter

Professor Sims: Thankie for your lovely feedback. Hope you like this chapter!

Babaksmiles: (laughs) Love your username. I'm killing ya'll with the little teases ain't I? (laughs) Jessica and Lee go just far enough to draw you in and the I hit the brakes. I promise (or at least hope) the pay off will be worth it. I'm relieved you think they have chemistry! And THANK YOU! I see Jessica as a perfect fit in the BSG world and a definite worthy partner for Lee. I like using original characters to discover different aspects of the characters we know and love and play with them in all sorts of different situations. I'm so glad you appreciate and understand what I'm doing here. I haven't changed the BSG world at all that much, which is what Mary Sue haters claim Mary Sue's do. Lee still acts like Lee (unfortunately)(laughs) Kara still acts like Kara, etc... (huggies you)

Lady Rheena: Classic. But effective, yeah? (laughs) Hope you like this chapter!

Sweet A.K: Just one more reason to hate Tigh. (laughs) Oh, I have very big plans for the tomb of Athena, trust me. (smiles) I laugh at the Mary Sue haters. Hope you like this chapter too!

Nytel: As long as I have wonderful readers like you, who take the time to literally read everything I write, I put no stock in what morons like that say. I write to please myself, not Mary Sue haters who are bitter and hateful cause they can't write a shopping list. Readers like all of you are a lovely bonus. Thankie!